​Volunteer Spotlight: Darrel RaikesDarrell Raikes is a ball of fire. With his dynamic energy and determination, you wouldn’t know he spent 20 days in the ICU after he developed sepsis from a routine knee replacement. To further complicate matters, his sepsis led to ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome). This experience left Darrell with lasting effects, but it didn’t diminish his drive.
 
Now Darrell is a tireless sepsis awareness advocate. He tours his home state of Kentucky speaking to schools and organizations about sepsis. Darrell and his wife, Sarah, connected Sepsis Alliance with Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), a nonprofit organization of young men and women who choose a charity every year to support. It’s because of Darrell that the FCCLA Kentucky chapter chose Sepsis Alliance and has already raised over $10,000 for the organization. Passionate and committed volunteers like Darrell are a major reason Sepsis Alliance is able to spread sepsis awareness and save lives.

This young girl means so much to me and touched my heart. She lost her mother to sepsis in December of 2017.