05-07-2025
Renfrewshire sepsis survivor pens heartfelt open letter to NHS heroes
Heroic Corrine Hutton's care journey has included surviving sepsis in 2013 and undergoing a double hand transplant in 2019.
A quadruple amputee has issued a powerful thank you letter to the NHS 12 years after doctors not only saved her life but 'helped her live it joyfully'.
Dr Corrine Hutton MBE, best known as Cor, is the founder of Paisley amputee charity Finding Your Feet and she has released an emotional open letter thanking the NHS for over a decade of life-saving support.
Her care journey has included surviving sepsis in 2013 and undergoing a double hand transplant in 2019.
The letter marks twelve years since Cor was given just a five per cent chance of survival after contracting sepsis. It reflects on the care she's received through multiple surgeries, kidney complications, lung loss, and transplant recovery ‚ and the people behind it all.
Timed to coincide with Thank You Day on Sunday, July 7, the letter is a deeply personal expression of gratitude from Cor, one of the UK's most recognised advocates for people affected by amputation or limb absence.
In the open letter to the NHS, the Lochwinnoch mum says: 'The NHS didn't just save my life. You helped me live it — fully, joyfully, and on my own terms.
'I know the NHS isn't perfect but I also know how hard your job is. I've seen it. I've felt it. The pressure. The repetition. The emotional weight of showing up for people who are scared, angry or broken and still doing it with compassion. Every time I thought I'd reached the end, you gave me another beginning.'
Since her first operation in 2013, Cor has made it her mission to help amputees and has played her part in Renfrewshire. Her Finding Your Feet charity has been a lifeline for people across Scotland, offering compassion at what is often the loneliest and most frightening time for amputees. Her tireless fundraising, including some incredible physical challenges, means the charity has endured throughout a global pandemic and cost-of-living crisis.
Cor's letter is also accompanied by a series of short videos and an invitation to the public to share their own messages of thanks to anyone who's made a difference using the hashtag #WithAllMyHeart.
And on why she wrote the letter, the Renfrewshire hero went on to say: 'I think what made me want to write the letter is that the NHS gets a bit of stick.
'I know they're under a lot of pressure. But the service I've had, the care that I've had from the NHS has just been absolutely stunning, right from when I had my sepsis, onto the effects of the sepsis, my amputations, the nursing staff, the consultants that I've had, absolutely brilliant. So, so many people [were] going out their way [to help]. I'm talking about the junior medical staff that washed my hair and stuck a lipstick on me when I needed it, and the senior consultants that are there to answer a question for me, and they're still caring for me.
'I just want to tell the NHS that I'm grateful. I want to say thank you to each and every one of them that's helped me over the years, no matter what your position.
'I couldn't have done it without you. I just honestly wouldn't be here without the NHS. Thank you.'
