'Sickest patient in the country': Derby County fan on his goals for life after double amputation

• ITV News Central Reporter Lois Swinnerton joined Levi Dewey at a physiotherapy session

An amateur footballer from Derbyshire is learning to walk again, following surgery to amputate parts of both of his legs after he contracted sepsis.

Levi Dewey says he was a "pretty normal 20-year-old lad" from Derby before he was rushed to hospital with breathing difficulties in December last year.

He became seriously ill with a form of flu and pneumonia, and his body went into septic shock and he had multiple organ failure.

Doctors said Levi was 'the sickest patient in the country at the time,' with just a 30% chance of survival.

The severity of the sepsis meant that he had both legs amputated below the knee.

In September, Levi suffered a set back when he developed septic arthritis in his left knee, requiring more surgery and a month-long stay in hospital.

Derby County fan Levi is now back on track with his rehabilitation and say's looking forward to making progress and being able to walk again.

He says the hardest thing for him in 2024 will be getting his life back to normal and getting out and about, after feeling like he's been hiding from the world.

A goal he set at the start of his recovery was to be able to get back to watch Derby County games at Pride Park Stadium.

He says: "I've been very unfortunate, but I've also been very fortunate because I could not be here right now, if it wasn't for hospital staff and support system.

"If you're not mentally prepared for it, it can swallow people up. I've just tried to stay positive and be like - it could be worse."

Levi's dad, Neil Dewey, says his son is the bravest person he knows.

“I think he’s been amazing. All he’s gone through this year, I’m just immensely proud," he says.

"He’s gone through so much pain. He’s had so many procedures done to him and yet he’s just took it all in his stride. He’s the bravest person I know."

Neil added that it's been a 'really tough' period, and that Levi and his family have 'practically lived in this hospital for the whole year.'

He said: "Even last week we were here four and of five days, and yes it has been tough."

Now the family is looking forward to a Christmas they didn't know if they'd have together.

"I thought I’d lost him," Neil says, adding: "They put him on ECMO and they just said they’d do the best they could and he was probably the sickest person in the country at that time.

"And this time last year I was just praying that I’d spend Christmas Day with him."

A fundraising page has raised over £92,000 to help with Levi's recovery and to help buy bespoke prosthetic legs once he is able to walk again.

Ganor Venison is Levi's physiotherapist, and says Levi is a "model patient".

She continued: "He listens, he engages, he’s motivated he’s dynamic enough to realise his realistic expectations as well.

"As Levi mentioned earlier, we’ve had several ups and downs. The journey hasn’t been particularly smooth. Levi’s met a lot of his goals already."

Levi says it's been a long journey to get to where he is now.

"This time last year, I was in a coma and now i’m learning how to walk again," he said, adding: "It’s a bit weird to see how far I’ve come."

Next on his list is to once again cheer his team Derby County on from inside the stadium by climbing the 15 steps up to his old seat in the South Stand.

It's a challenge he's described as a mountain - but one he’s determined to climb soon.

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