From diagnosis to death in a fortnight - Sheffield family's heartache over doting dad's killer condition

Dan Hallam thought he was coming down with the flu as he opened presents with his nine-year-old daughter, Joy, on Christmas Day.

His condition worsened and by Boxing Day he was in hospital fighting for life after being diagnosed with sepsis.

The blood poisoning disease spread throughout his body and a medical team later had to amputate both his legs.

Just two weeks after being diagnosed the 43-year-old - described as a 'million in one bloke' by relatives - was dead.

The Beighton electrician's devastated family is now campaigning to raise awareness of the little known condition - in the hope of saving lives and sparing more families the same anguish that they have had to suffer.

Cousin Charissa Newsome, aged 40, said: "It has all happened so fast. None of us can believe it.

"We are all in a state of shock and are absolutely devastated."

The Wincobank woman has been asked to speak on behalf of the family as Dan's mum Marie and his partner Ayesha are still too devastated to talk.

She told how her cousin was treated in the critical care unit at the Northern General Hospital before succumbing to the condition on January 11.

Charissa said she couldn't believe that such a thing would have happened to someone so 'full of life' who loved going to music festivals and spending time with his friends and family.

Such was Dan's popularity that more than 500 people packed into Grenoside Crematorium for his funeral service on January 31.

Charissa said: "He was amazing. When he walked into a room he made everybody smile.

"He loved socialising and was a beautiful, one in a million bloke."

The family is now doing everything they can to raise awareness of sepsis.

They are planning on launching a website in Dan's name and hope to organise fundraising events to fund more research into the killer condition.

Sepsis kills around 45,000 people in the UK every year – more than breast cancer, bowel cancer and prostate cancer combined.

It develops when the chemicals the immune system releases into the bloodstream to fight an infection cause inflammation throughout the entire body instead, potentially leading to multiple organ failure and death.

Charissa said: "We want people to know the symptoms, write them down and pin it to their fridge if they need to. It is a big killer but not a great deal seems to be known about it."

In addition to raising awareness, an online fundraising page in aid of the Cathedral Archer Project, which supports homeless people in Sheffield, has also been launched and raised around £4000.

Charissa said: "It was a charity close to his heart. He and Ayesha slept rough for the night last year to raise awareness of the cause. He was such a caring person."

To donate visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/danieljamiehallam

Early symptoms of sepsis can include:-

*A fever or low body temperature

*Chills and shivering

*A fast heartbeat

*Fast breathing

For more information visit https://sepsistrust.org/