AN Irish couple whose 12-year-old son died from sepsis have taken their campaign to raise awareness of the condition all the way to the White House.
US-based Orlaith and Ciarán Staunton launched the End Sepsis movement following the death of their son Rory in New York in 2012, days after he contracted the illness.
They are campaigning for better infection education and hospital safety measures to ensure there are no more needless deaths from sepsis in the US.
This month they held an event dedicated to highlighting the dangers of sepsis at the White House, which marked a “major first” for the ongoing campaign.
The End Sepsis movement held an event at the White House this month (Pic: Ciaran Staunton)“We have been trying to get the White House involved in the Sepsis issue since shortly after son Rory died in 2012, when we found out that Sepsis was killing 270,000 Americans per year, and it was not on the national health agenda,” Mr Staunton, who hails from Louisburgh, Co. Mayo, told The Irish Post this week.
“This is a major first, as sepsis is now killing over 350,000 Americans annually, up from 270,000 when Rory died,” he added.
“Sepsis needs to be put on the national health agenda.”
In 2022 Ciarán and Orlaith, who hails from Drogheda in Co. Louth, were honoured for their commitment to the cause with Ireland’s Presidential Distinguished Service Award in the field of Charitable Works.
Over the past decade, through their End Sepsis campaign, the pair have organised the first national forum on sepsis, which was held in Washington DC in 2013, formed the National Family Council on Sepsis and established Rory’s Regulations, which provide the first sepsis protocols in the US.
They also saw the passing of Rory Staunton’s Law in 2016, which mandates infection prevention training for all healthcare-related professionals in New York State.
And the couple have no intention to stop there.
Following their White House event they hope to reach even more people with their sepsis warning.
“The White House is the largest bully pulpit in the United States,” Mr Staunton said.
“It can only help our campaign to put sepsis on the national agenda.”
He added: “Since Rory died over four million Americans have died from sepsis, a preventable death.”