A 43-year-old Montreal woman is speaking out about sepsis and early diagnosis after recovering from a severe infection that resulted in multiple amputations following a bout with the flu. Cameillia Ramdass spent time in an induced coma and received lifesaving vasopressor medication that constricted blood flow to her limbs, according to her accounts and public interviews.
Recognizing Sepsis Symptoms and Early Hospital Diagnosis
Ramdass initially sought medical care for severe back pain after recovering from the flu in January. Her 23-year-old daughter, Seraiyah Ramdass, accompanied her to the hospital during the ordeal and had to make critical medical decisions while her mother was incapacitated.
According to Ramdass, doctors did not initially listen to her concerns or perform straightforward diagnostic tests. “It was just a simple urine test and a simple blood test he could have taken to determine if I had a kidney infection when I got to the hospital,” Ramdass said.
Medical experts emphasize that recognizing the condition early remains difficult because symptoms vary widely. According to Dr. Alison Fox-Robichaud, scientific director of Sepsis Canada and a professor of medicine at McMaster University, sepsis is the body’s life-threatening response to an infection. It occurs when the immune and clotting systems go into overdrive to control an infection.
“Everybody’s a little different in terms of how they present. And that’s part of the challenge of recognizing somebody’s becoming septic,” Fox-Robichaud said. She advises patients who feel severely ill and suspect an infection to explicitly ask healthcare workers if it could be sepsis to potentially trigger additional blood work.
Risk Factors and National Healthcare Gaps
While the specific bacteria identified in Ramdass’s case, Capnocytophaga, is considered rare, sepsis itself claims many lives. According to Dr. Fox-Robichaud, one in five people who develop sepsis will not survive. She estimates that sepsis ranks as the fourth leading cause of death in Canada, noting that Canada remains the only G7 country without a national sepsis action plan.
Certain populations face heightened risks of developing severe complications. Individuals at higher risk include young children, older adults, and people with chronic health conditions who take immunosuppressive drugs. Ramdass has lived with lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease, since she was 22 years old.
Did You Know? Sepsis is the body’s extreme response to an infection.
Rehabilitation and Long-Term Recovery Journey
Waking from her induced coma brought profound emotional and physical shocks for Ramdass, who realized she had lost three limbs. Vasopressors saved her life, but the medication constricted blood flow in her limbs, eventually resulting in the quadruple amputation.
“I thought to myself well my job is gone. My livelihood is gone. My social life is gone. It’s devastating for me. You know I have two kids,” Ramdass said. Her first words upon waking and seeing her children were, “I would never leave you guys. I’m sorry you have to go through this.”
Family support has played a major role in her recovery. Her daughter Seraiyah documented the journey in a Medium post for Mother’s Day to raise awareness and launched an online fundraiser to support her mother’s medical expenses.
Ramdass has shifted her focus toward daily rehabilitation. After starting her recovery unable to turn over in bed, she now undergoes five hours of daily rehabilitation. She is learning how to write and feed herself, and was fitted with leg prostheses recently.
“I’m hopeful for the best for the long-term because I will get my legs,” Ramdass said. “I will be able to walk. I will get my arms. I will be able to do makeup again and because I was a makeup artist and cook again and bake again like I used to and that’s what’s most important to me. I live for my kids.”
Frequently Asked Questions About Sepsis
What is sepsis?
Sepsis is the body’s life-threatening response to an infection. It happens when the body’s immune and clotting systems that are designed to fight that infection go into overdrive in an attempt to control that infection.
What are the common risk factors for sepsis?
Populations at higher risk include young children, older adults, and individuals with chronic health conditions who take immunosuppressive medications.
Why does sepsis sometimes require amputations?
In some cases, the use of lifesaving medication called vasopressors can constrict the blood flow in the limbs, which may result in amputation.
What should I do if I suspect sepsis?
Dr. Alison Fox-Robichaud recommends asking healthcare workers directly if symptoms could be sepsis to help prompt immediate diagnostic blood work.
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