Charles Butters

Charles (Chuck) was my husband of 41 years who died from sepsis 3 years ago after a valiant fight with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. (Sepsis and Cancer) He was diagnosed with lymphoma and had surgery, chemo, and radiation. He remained in remission for over a year and he used this time to travel. He experienced relapse of lymphoma and started another round of chemo with a goal of stem cell transplant. (Sepsis and Impaired Immune System)

After the first treatment, he began having some confusion, fever, and weakness. We went immediately to the ED but it was already too late. He was severely immunosuppressed and his port was the source of a pseudomonas sepsis. Despite heroic care in the ICU, he developed multisystem organ failure and did not survive. This all occurred during the height of COVID (he never had COVID) and I was the only one allowed to visit him. His granddaughter was born on his birthday but he never held her due to COVID. He has a new grandson he never met.

This story highlights the vulnerability of the immunosupressed populations-especially cancer patients. Rapid treatment is essential for survival but the source needs to be identified and removed/treated.

Source: Nancy Butters-wife