THE nurse who helped save the life of a baby boy from potentially lethal sepsis has told how she put 15 years of experience into practice.

In the Echo last week, Jon and Hannah Tiplady, both 28, praised the quick-thinking actions of a passing nurse at Basildon Hospital, who spotted the deadly signs of sepsis in nine-week-old Jacob.

The concerned couple, of Thistledown Court, Basildon, had taken their son to the A&E department despite a GP and NHS 111 diagnosing him with a cold.

His condition quickly deteriorated.

As nurse Suzanne Reynolds, 36, of Dibgy Road, Corringham, walked through the department she noticed Jacob sitting uncomfortably with his head tilted.

He also looked slightly pale.

She immediately recognised signs of sepsis and Jacob was rushed through to resuscitation.

Mrs Reynolds said: “I don’t know how I knew, it was just intuition.

“I have been working as a nurse for 15 years soIguess you just become aware of these things.

“Jacob’s head was tilted to the side and that told me there was something very wrong. He looked a bit pale.

“I didn’t really think a lot into it, I just acted. We do see a lot of children with sepsis.

“I asked the parents if I could have a look at him and I noticed his skin was mottled like corned beef.

“I carried him into the resuscitation unit and while we were treating him, he started becoming better before my eyes.”

The infection, which happened in December, is believed to have been caused by an earlier urinary tract infection.

Mr and Mrs Tiplady were prompted to speak to the Echo after reading of the death of William Mead, from Cornwall, who died of sepsis following a string of NHS failings.

Mrs Tiplady said she is eternally grateful to Mrs Reynolds for recognising the symptoms, and pleased she has been identified.

She added: “For her to notice something wasn’t right by the way Jacob was sitting, is just amazing and purely instinct.

“I just really can’t thank her enough. If it wasn’t for her I truly believe my baby wouldn’t be here today.”