It started as an ordinary weekend for 56-year-old Manjit Sangha in the West Midlands, UK. She finished her shift as a pharmacy worker, came home feeling slightly under the weather, and thought nothing of it. At some point, her beloved pet dog licked a small cut or scratch on her skin—something so routine and innocent that no one paid it much attention.By Monday morning, everything had spiraled into a nightmare.Her husband, Kam (Kamaljit), discovered her unconscious, struggling to breathe, with her lips turned a alarming purple-blue and her hands and feet icy cold. He rushed her to New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton, where doctors quickly diagnosed severe sepsis—a life-threatening condition where the body’s overwhelming immune response to infection begins attacking its own tissues and organs.
What followed was a grueling battle for survival. Manjit’s heart stopped six times. She developed complications including pneumonia, gallstones, and disseminated intravascular coagulation (a rare clotting disorder tied to sepsis). Surgeons removed her spleen, and as the infection ravaged her limbs due to poor circulation and tissue death, they made the devastating decision to amputate both legs below the knees and both hands to save her life.She spent a total of 32 weeks—over seven months—in three different hospitals: New Cross for intensive care, Russells Hall for further treatment, and Moseley Hall for rehabilitation. Kam took extended leave from work to stay by her side, and the couple even marked their 37th wedding anniversary in a hospital ward, surrounded by medical equipment instead of celebration
Against all odds, and despite doctors initially fearing she would not pull through, Manjit survived. She was discharged from Moseley Hall in February 2026 and returned home to Penn, Wolverhampton, where family and friends gave her an emotional hero’s welcome.Now, back in her own home, Manjit is adapting to her new reality. She’s working hard in physiotherapy to learn to walk using prosthetic legs and remains determined to regain as much independence as possible—one day hoping to return to work. Her family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help fund advanced prosthetics, including high-tech robotic hands that could dramatically improve her quality of life.
Through it all, Manjit and Kam are sharing her story publicly to raise urgent awareness about sepsis, which claims around 50,000 lives each year in the UK alone. They want people to recognize the warning signs—such as breathlessness, cold extremities, discolored skin, confusion, or extreme fatigue—and seek immediate help if something feels seriously wrong.What began as a simple dog lick on a minor scratch escalated into a fight for life in less than 24 hours. Manjit’s resilience is inspiring, but her message is clear: sepsis can strike anyone, from the seemingly healthy, and early recognition can mean the difference between life and devastating loss.
