Our Stories

Climbing back from sepsis

Cor Hutton’s resilience catapults her life to incredible heights

Sepsis is a life-threatening condition that can escalate rapidly and, if not properly treated, can lead to long-term complications or even death.

Time is of the essence when it comes to identifying sepsis and treating it appropriately.

Thermo Fisher Scientific provides more than 90 million procalcitonin (B·R·A·H·M·S PCT) tests each year designed to help physicians make critical antibiotic therapy decisions and provide early diagnosis of sepsis and other bacterial infections.

Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) solutions also help clinicians  make accurate decisions for patients suffering from sepsis and other bacterial infections.

Ensuring patients gets the right treatment at the right time not only helps save lives, but it also helps to prevent the overuse of antibiotics and manage the threat of antimicrobial resistance.


Such tests have helped improve patient outcomes, including that of Cor Hutton.

In June 2013 Cor nearly lost her life after suffering acute pneumonia and sepsis. Surgeons were forced to amputate both her hands and her legs below the knee.

But Cor hasn’t let that stop her. Rather than just survive, Cor chose to thrive. Her journey through adversity led to a remarkable transformation.

After fighting her way back to health, she went on to start a charity called Finding Your Feet so she could support families affected by amputation and show them there is life after limb loss. She wants them to be the best they can be.

Today Cor is a source of inspiration. In 2018 she became Scotland's first double hand transplant recipient. Prior to this, she defied all odds to become the first female quadruple amputee to conquer the towering peaks of Ben Nevis in Scotland and Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

Beyond her extraordinary mountaineering achievements, Cor has participated in hundreds of charity events, fearlessly embracing challenges like abseiling, cycling and participating in marathons.

She has a list of accolades to her name including two honorary doctorates, a Pride of Britain Award and this year she received an MBE – Member of the Order of the British Empire by King Charles III.

In times when it's easy to dwell on challenges, Cor’s story serves as a reminder that everyone has the power and choice to rise above them and create positive change for themselves and others in the world.

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We understand the important role we play in improving lives as we help our customers diagnose disease, develop new treatments, protect our planet and keep people safe. Learn more about our efforts in our 2022 CSR report.

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