This Always Remember Tribute Fund is a lasting tribute to my best friend, Paula "Poli" de Cristobal, who lost her life to sepsis on December 3rd 2023.

Poli's case, like that of many other sepsis victims, was caused by the negligence of the plastic surgeon that after a breast implant replacement surgery did not provide proper after care and allowed an infection to progress to the point of causing a septic shock and ultimately her death.

Poli was an extraordinary woman, mum, wife, daughter, sister, friend, entrepreneur. She and I shared many adventures when we were single and before I moved to the UK. After moving to the UK, she and I would speak daily on the phone. She was my confidant and I was hers. She was my son's Godmother and I’m one of her boys’s Godmother. She left a void that’ll never be filled and as a friend I miss her a lot.

Amongst the many dreams left unfulfilled, doing a classic car rally together was one of them. She would have loved to be my co-driver. She was very adventurous, loved a good party, enjoyed socialising and meeting new people. I feel that this car rally in Andalucia, Spain, would have been her dream.

I'm joined in this car rally by my beautiful friend Juliet Mathew who, likes Poli, has a personality larger than life. We will be driving a 1954 Jaguar XK120 and whilst driving and exploring the beautiful Andalucia, we will also be fundraising in Poli's memory. She's the best co-pilot one could have hoped for and I'm grateful that she has agreed to join me to dedicate and drive every mile for darling Poli and her family!!

Together, these funds represent a collective determination by those who have lost loved ones to raise awareness and support the work of the UK Sepsis Trust, in memory of all those lost to this devastating condition.

All of the money raised will help the UK Sepsis Trust achieve its aim of saving 14,000 lives in the UK every year.

For more information about the work of UK Sepsis Trust, please visit www.sepsistrust.org. Please contact the Always Remember Team at alwaysremember@sepsistrust.org if you have any questions.