England international Missy Bo Kearns has revealed the harrowing experience of suffering a miscarriage and contracting sepsis, describing it as "four days of hell in hospital."
The Aston Villa midfielder, who was expecting a child with partner Liam Walsh, a Luton player, lost the baby in March after announcing her pregnancy on March 1.
Speaking to ITV News, Kearns recalled feeling unwell at Villa's Bodymoor Heath training ground on March 18. She consulted the club's sports doctor, Jodie Blackadder-Weinstein, who checked her temperature.
"It was one of the biggest shocks of my life," Kearns said. "I thought it was just a pregnancy symptom, and the doctor came in and checked my temperature... I was 42 degrees, but I was shaking."
Kearns was rushed to the hospital, where she learned she had lost the baby and developed sepsis, a life-threatening immune reaction to infection.
"We went to the hospital, and that's when we found out that straight away, we had lost the baby and that I'd got sepsis. So, it was a shock, because I'd literally been doing pilates and gym an hour before, and my whole life just changed like that."
'They probably saved my life'
Kearns expressed gratitude to Dr. Blackadder-Weinstein for insisting she go to the hospital, noting that at home she might have dismissed her symptoms as flu-like.
"We had to go through like, three, four days of hell in hospital... I'm so thankful for the doctors here at Villa, because if I was at home that day... Jodie made me go to the hospital. I was not wanting to go... but they probably saved my life because I had sepsis, and while having that, I wasn't even thinking about the sepsis. It was: I've lost my child - and Liam was probably thinking the same."
Kearns has been visiting Villa's training ground to rebuild fitness but admits she is still grappling with the mental trauma.
"I wouldn't say I'm fully coping. There's days like today where I feel good... but yesterday, I was upset all day because I got some news about the things we have to sort and it just comes and goes in waves."
She emphasized the importance of not "suffering in silence," acknowledging that everyone grieves differently.