A young amateur footballer was told his “perfect” mum had just hours to live after developing sepsis.
Tracey Easton died in hospital after falling ill with the condition just days before.
Tracey Easton died of sepsis at the age of 52
The former retail worker had been suffering from blood clots in her lungs, Crohn’s disease and osteoarthritis, which meant she was often bedbound.
So when the 52-year-old, was unable to get out of bed over the weekend of May 2 and May 3, her family did not know her life was in danger.
However, the mum of five’s condition declined, and she was taken to Medway Maritime Hospital, Gillingham, on the morning of May 4.
Son Dawson McFarland told KentOnline that within a couple of hours, doctors told the family the Sheerness resident had just a matter of hours to live.
The 20-year-old former Sittingbourne School pupil said: “It’s all sort of a blur for me that day.
“She’d gone in the morning, and we’d got a phone call a couple of hours after saying she’s not making it through the day.
“The doctors said if you want to come down to the hospital to see I would suggest doing so, as she has eight hours to live.
“The sepsis had blown a hole through a part of her body.
“It got that bad that there was only a 1% chance of her surviving the surgery. There was no point in the doctors doing it.
“I don’t even know what was going through my head myself. I wasn’t ready for it. It all just hit me out of nowhere.
Dawson McFarland is raising money for The UK Sepsis Trust after his mum, Tracey Easton, died of the condition
“I’d made peace with the fact that she’s probably not going to live for another 10 years because she was ill. But I wasn’t expecting her to go so soon.”
Sepsis is a serious reaction to an infection that develops very quickly over a few hours and is life-threatening if not treated at hospital urgently.
Common symptoms in adults include confusion or slurred speech, uncontrollable shivering, muscle pain, difficulty breathing, temperature changes, and not urinating for over 18 hours.
Tracey, who was married to Darren McFarland, left behind daughters Kimberly McFarland, 14, and Nasmin Easton, 36, and sons Dillan Easton, 25, and Danual Easton, 31.
Paying tribute to her, Dawson described her as the “perfect mum”.
Tracey Easton with her husband Darren McFarland
“She’d always put her family first,” he said. “She made sure we all had anything we wanted, so she was a selfless person.”
“My mum put us before herself, which was to her detriment at times.
“She would never scold me and would never try to punish me. Instead, she’d always try to teach me what not to do rather than punish me for doing it.
“I couldn’t ask for a better mum.”
The football-mad Liverpool fan is now fundraising in memory of Tracey with help from his Bourne Knights FC teammates.
Dawson McFarland is raising money for The UK Sepsis Trust after his mum, Tracey Easton, died
The Sheppey Sunday League team, who play home fixtures at King George V Playing Field in Sittingbourne, are hosting a charity BBQ, football match and family fun day in her honour.
It’s taking place at noon on Saturday, October 10, at Sittingbourne Recreational Ground – better known as Albany park. While it is a free event, all proceeds will go to The UK Sepsis Trust.
The charity raises awareness about sepsis, which leads to 48,000 people’s deaths in the UK each year.
Former Kent MP Craig Mackinlay was left severely disabled after contracting the condition in 2023.
Dawson said: “If my mum knew before she died that I’d be hosting a charity football event in her name, she’d be more than honoured.
“She was the whole reason I’m so into football as it is now. She started following Liverpool because she liked their kits in the ‘90s and passed that on to me.
Bourne Knights FC are helping their teammate Dawson McFarland raise money in honour of his mum Tracey
“She would be over the moon that I am hosting a charity event for her.
“My teammates and the club have been good as gold. I couldn’t ask for a better friend group during these last months.
“Humbled isn’t the right word.”
The day is already sponsored by Sittingbourne-based logistics firm Nicholls Transport.
The team is looking for additional sponsors and local businesses interested in supporting the event or donating raffle prizes.
They can get in touch by emailing Charity@fcbourneknights.com.