Maddie Lawrence: Student who died of sepsis ‘didn’t hear screams of agony’, parent says

A student’s death in hospital from a sepsis infection went unnoticed, with her parents telling Sky News that “no one heard her screams of agony”.

Maddy Lawrence, 20, is playing rugby for the University of the West of England (UWE) women’s second team against the University Bristol In March 2022, she was injured after being tackled.

She dislocated her hip and was taken to Southmead Hospital in Bristol but died two weeks later from multiple organ failure and staff missed a crucial window to treat sepsis.

The investigation found that the hospital had grossly failed to treat her and that negligence had contributed to her death.

Her parents told Sky Britain’s Tonight Show the “pain” she experienced on the ward and their regret at the time for not “making a fuss” with staff.

Her mother, Karen Lawrence, said: “You had such faith and trust in the medical community. We didn’t make a fuss because they had to know what they were doing. If we [done so]she will still be with us.

“She was supposed to go home for the weekend. No one heard her screams of agony… and was considered a difficult patient. She must be in absolute agony.”

Mrs Lawrence said her dying daughter was not under observation for 16 hours – one of the reasons they welcomed the move. The launch of Martha’s Rules From April, the National Health Service (NHS) will be responsible.

Under the new law, patients can request a quick second opinion if they are concerned their condition is worsening or if their family members feel they are not getting the care they need.

The new process was introduced following the death in 2021 of 13-year-old Martha Mills, who also suffered sepsis while being treated at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in London.

Simon Lawrence, Maddie’s father, said as well as Martha’s Rules, people should also be aware of the National Early Warning Score (NEWS), which determines how sick a patient is and whether critical care intervention is needed.

The scoring system is based on certain physiological measurements such as respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, and systolic blood pressure.

Following Maddie’s death, Tim Whittlestone, chief medical officer at North Bristol NHS Trust, said: “As a parent, I think there is nothing like knowing that an opportunity has been missed that could have affected Maddie’s outcome. It’s worse.”

“Despite the rarity of Maddie’s condition and the heroic efforts of many of our clinical teams, we acknowledge and apologize for the oversights in her care.”

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‘Twinkle toes’ rugby player

Describing life without Maddie, her parents said they had “always been carrying a weight” and described their other daughter, Juliette, as having such “resilience” because she was so close to her sister.

They recalled McGrady and her nickname “Twinkle Toes,” which came from her speed as a winger.

Mrs Lawrence said: “She was very fast and when she discovered rugby she found her speed was a huge advantage. She was loud, energetic and bold.”

Lawrence said the parents did not have “any ill will towards her attacker”, adding: “It was just a very unfortunate set of circumstances that led to this chaos.”

He added that when Maddie was first hospitalized, she joked that her first injury at a rugby match was “a little crazy,” which was in line with her “good spirits.”

Parents have launched Maddie’s March, a month-long fundraising event that they hope will become an annual event.

Participants were asked to embrace the number 104 – the number given a few weeks after Maddie’s death.

Ms Lawrence said those taking part included people running, walking and swimming 104km, with one person baking 104 cakes and the University of Chichester taking 104 dips in the sea.