Tributes Paid to ‘Big, Strong Lad’ Who Died Tragically From Sepsis After Horsefly Bite
Morpeth, Northumberland, England – Emotional tributes have been paid to a, “big, strong lad”, and devoted father who tragically died after a common horsefly bite led to a devastating case of sepsis.
Andrew Kane, 31, a farm worker from Morpeth, passed away on September 18 after a five-week battle for his life, leaving behind his heartbroken family, including his seven-year-old daughter.
The tragic series of events began weeks earlier when Mr. Kane was bitten by the insect while working on a farm in Shrewsbury, Shropshire. Initially, he noticed only some redness and itchiness around the bite and thought little of it.
However, his condition took a sudden and severe turn when he collapsed during a night out and was rushed to Northumbria Emergency Care Hospital. He was later transferred to Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital for specialist treatment.
Doctors discovered the bite had developed into a severe infection, leading to sepsis—a life-threatening reaction where the body’s immune system overreacts and starts to damage its own tissues and organs.
Mr. Kane was placed in an induced coma for weeks as medical staff fought to save him. At several points during his hospital stay, he showed promising signs of recovery, giving his family and doctors a glimmer of hope. Tragically, the infection proved too aggressive.
His grieving mother, Rachel, 52, spoke of her unimaginable loss. “He was a big, strong lad. I could never have imagined that a fly bite could come to this. It’s been horrendous”, she told the Daily Mail. “He just started to go downhill very quickly. I was with him right to the end”.
Rachel, who stayed by her son’s side throughout his ordeal, had been the one to urge him to see a doctor after noticing the bite on his arm was not healing and looked like a, “hole”.
She recalled a particularly heart-wrenching moment of false hope when Andrew briefly regained consciousness. "He asked me to bring chocolates for the nurses", she said, believing it was his way of thanking them for their care, perhaps sensing his time was short.
Soon after, the sepsis, "came back with a vengeance", causing his internal organs to shut down.
“I feel really broken. I keep going through things in my mind. I don’t feel like it’s real. I don’t think it’s hit me. I just feel really lost”, his mother added.
Raised in a farming family, Andrew had followed in his parents' footsteps, with his agricultural work taking him to dairy farms across the country. He is remembered by loved ones as a dedicated family man with a larger-than-life personality.
“He was such a big character”, Rachel said. “He was very funny and he was very caring. He was a family man”.
The family is now preparing for an emotional funeral service to honour the father-of-one, whose life was cut short by a seemingly innocuous insect bite.
Andrew Kane, 31, a farm worker from Morpeth, passed away on September 18 after a five-week battle for his life, leaving behind his heartbroken family, including his seven-year-old daughter.
The tragic series of events began weeks earlier when Mr. Kane was bitten by the insect while working on a farm in Shrewsbury, Shropshire. Initially, he noticed only some redness and itchiness around the bite and thought little of it.
However, his condition took a sudden and severe turn when he collapsed during a night out and was rushed to Northumbria Emergency Care Hospital. He was later transferred to Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital for specialist treatment.
Doctors discovered the bite had developed into a severe infection, leading to sepsis—a life-threatening reaction where the body’s immune system overreacts and starts to damage its own tissues and organs.
Mr. Kane was placed in an induced coma for weeks as medical staff fought to save him. At several points during his hospital stay, he showed promising signs of recovery, giving his family and doctors a glimmer of hope. Tragically, the infection proved too aggressive.
His grieving mother, Rachel, 52, spoke of her unimaginable loss. “He was a big, strong lad. I could never have imagined that a fly bite could come to this. It’s been horrendous”, she told the Daily Mail. “He just started to go downhill very quickly. I was with him right to the end”.
Rachel, who stayed by her son’s side throughout his ordeal, had been the one to urge him to see a doctor after noticing the bite on his arm was not healing and looked like a, “hole”.
She recalled a particularly heart-wrenching moment of false hope when Andrew briefly regained consciousness. "He asked me to bring chocolates for the nurses", she said, believing it was his way of thanking them for their care, perhaps sensing his time was short.
Soon after, the sepsis, "came back with a vengeance", causing his internal organs to shut down.
“I feel really broken. I keep going through things in my mind. I don’t feel like it’s real. I don’t think it’s hit me. I just feel really lost”, his mother added.
Raised in a farming family, Andrew had followed in his parents' footsteps, with his agricultural work taking him to dairy farms across the country. He is remembered by loved ones as a dedicated family man with a larger-than-life personality.
“He was such a big character”, Rachel said. “He was very funny and he was very caring. He was a family man”.
The family is now preparing for an emotional funeral service to honour the father-of-one, whose life was cut short by a seemingly innocuous insect bite.
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