Vaccination plea after Acacia Hills teen Thomas Snell’s tragic death from total organ failure

WITHIN just two days, Acacia Hills teen Thomas Snell went from being an active and outgoing 13-year-old boy to fighting off total organ failure

Keen Darwin cricketer Thomas Snell, 13, died last year after developing sepsis and his mum Amanda Clarke is now trying to raise awareness so other families know the symptoms. Picture: Michael Franchi

WITHIN just two days, Acacia Hills teen Thomas Snell went from being an active and outgoing 13-year-old boy to fighting off total organ failure.

It was a fight Thomas tragically lost, and his devastated family is still picking up the pieces — nine months after farewelling their oldest child.

“One day, Thomas was texting us, asking for some cough lozenges and playing rugby for his under-14 side,” Thomas’s mum Amanda Clarke said.

“The next afternoon, doctors were connecting him to life support, urging us to tell our son that we loved him ... how do you know something can kill you in two days?”

Thomas’s family is now campaigning to raise awareness about sepsis — the deadly condition that took their son’s life.

The bright and active 13-year-old boy developed sepsis as a response to the flu and a bacterial infection.

Thomas’s mum Amanda Clarke is hanging a campaign poster at Coolalinga Medical Centre on Tuesday morning, the first of many in medical centres across the NT.

“If this poster saves one life ... then that life has been saved by my son,” Ms Clarke said.

“Our family want to raise awareness so no other family has to lose a loved one from the flu, pneumonia and sepsis as we have.”

Ms Clarke said she hadn’t heard of sepsis until her son contracted it.

While it’s impossible to know, Ms Clarke wonders if the family had spotted a similar poster in their GP waiting room — Thomas could still be with them today.

The family is also urging Territorians to get vaccinated against the flu — to protect them against the potentially deadly disease.

“Thomas didn’t only have the flu — but then getting the flu on top of that the immune system said ‘it’s too much’ and sepsis happened,” Ms Clarke said.

Last week, NT chief health officer Dr Sara Watson also told Territorians to get a flu vaccine. “The most effective way to prevent the disease is by vaccination,” she said.

“Flu season can be variable and everyone should get an annual flu vaccine anytime from mid-April onwards to be protected. It’s never too late to be vaccinated as the flu can spread all year round.”

In 2017 in the NT, 1450 influenza notifications were received, about 2.3 times the five-year mean.

Nine NT deaths were related to influenza infection last year — 2.9 times the five-year mean.

Ms Clarke thanked her sister Yvette Clarke and friend Marjorie Saunders for their help and advice.

The family is hosting a pop-up stall at Malak Marketplace this Saturday — to raise awareness about sepsis and sell tea, profits from which will be reinvested into the campaign.