Jason Watkins has admitted it was “very difficult” to make a new documentary about the death of his daughter Maude.
The 60-year-old actor has been working with his wife Clara Francis on Jason & Clara: In Memory of Maudie, which will see the couple support other families going through grief.
It was 2011 when Maude, the two-year-old daughter of Jason and his wife Clara Francis, tragically died of sepsis.
‘It’s never worse than feeling like your child never existed’: Jason Watkins has admitted it was ‘very difficult’ making a documentary about the death of his daughter Maude, two, from sepsis
Jason found Maude, who had been suffering from the flu, dead in her bed on New Year’s morning. Despite two hospital visits, her flu symptoms masked the sepsis and she went undiagnosed.
The Crown star said during a Wednesday appearance on This Morning: “I spoke to Sarah Parish and she lost her own child so it’s about raising awareness about sepsis, this documentary.
“… about letting people know that you always bring it up when you lose a child. There’s never worse than feeling like your child never existed. It’s a sharing of our history – it was very difficult to do. The hope is that people will get an idea.
“It means telling other families that help is available. Talking about it can help you and you feel less alone because it’s a very lonely journey.”
Tragic: The 60-year-old actor worked with his wife Clara Francis on Jason & Clara: In Memory of Maudie, in which the couple offer support to other families struggling with grief
He also went on the daytime show to promote Channel 5’s latest psychological drama, The Catch.
Based on the best-selling novel by The Holiday author TM Logan, Jason uses raw grief at the loss of his own daughter to save his bereaved father Ed in the tense four-part Channel 5 drama, which airs Wednesday at 9 p.m to play.
He said: “It’s a family drama that’s turning into a psychological drama. They lost a child in the past, for which Ed feels partly responsible and struggles to keep his family together.
“It’s[oneofthehardestthingsintheworldandthat’sspecial–ourfamilyontheshowlostachildIandClarawelostourdaughter10yearsago[oneofthehardestthingsintheworldandthisisaparticular-ourfamilyintheshowhaslosttachildmyselfandClarawelosttourdaughter10yearsago[einesderschwierigstenDingeaufderWeltunddasistetwasBesonderes–unsereFamilieinderShowhateinKindverlorenichundClarawirhabenunsereTochtervor10Jahrenverloren[oneofthehardestthingsintheworldandthisisaparticular-ourfamilyintheshowhaslostachildmyselfandClarawelostourdaughter10yearsago
Opening up: The Crown star said during a Wednesday appearance This Morning: “I spoke to Sarah Parish and she lost her own child so it’s about raising awareness about sepsis.”
Upcoming: He also went on the daytime show to promote Channel 5’s latest psychological drama, The Catch
“You think why on earth… but it’s such a good script, it comes from a real sense of family, so it seems like a good opportunity to explore with an audience what it’s like to lose a child.” Some scenes were really, really difficult.”
“There’s you on one end of the tightrope and the actor on the other – it depends on how much you give. When you give a lot of yourself and take care of yourself, I prepared myself when I knew a day was going to be tough.
Known as the “silent killer,” sepsis strikes when an infection, such as blood poisoning, triggers a violent immune response in which the body attacks its own organs.
If caught early enough, it can be easily treated with intravenous antibiotics and fluids, but these must be given as soon as sepsis is suspected — it strikes with frightening speed, and for every hour delayed, a patient’s chance of dying increases by 8 percent.
So sad: In 2010, a persistent cough led to two back-to-back visits to a hospital’s emergency room, where Maude was initially diagnosed with croup but died of sepsis two weeks later
While filming his documentary, Jason visited a hospital emergency room, with the Line Of Duty star noting that the “difficulties” of sepsis in children are “unfortunately” due to funding.
He said while the skills are in place in the NHS the Government needs to “step up” and put more money into the jobs that are really “needed”.
Earlier this month, the star and his wife Clara celebrated 12 years since Maude’s death, and Jason also paid a heartfelt tribute to his girl on Twitter.
Explaining to the publication how they were celebrating the occasion, he said: “Clara and I both get very emotional on this day and leading up to the anniversary. We just go to their bank as family and friends, then everyone comes back to our house. It’s a nice thing to do.’
In a 2020 interview, Jason revealed that he was “angry for a very long time” at fate for taking the child he shared with his wife, Clara Francis.
Devastating: “Clara and I are both getting pretty emotional on the day and leading up to the anniversary. We just go to their bank as a family” (pictured 2019)
Speaking to the Sunday Times Magazine, he said: “Clara and I felt betrayed.”
He described the pattern of his grief changing over time, from an acute ache to a “heart-shaped feeling you carry with you forever”.
Jason and Clara – who already had an older daughter, Bessie – decided to have another child after Maude’s death.
He added: “Life would not rob us of our happiness. And Gilbert has brought us so much happiness.’
Jason & Clara: In Memory of Maudie will air on ITV1 and ITVX later this year.
If you need further support or information on grief and bereavement, you can contact mental health charity Mind on 0300 123 3393.
What are the main symptoms of sepsis? The “silent killer” that can cause death in minutes
Known as the “silent killer,” sepsis strikes when an infection, such as blood poisoning, triggers a violent immune response in which the body attacks its own organs.
It is a potentially life-threatening condition triggered by infection or injury. According to the UK Sepsis Trust, around 245,000 people develop sepsis and 52,000 die from it in the UK each year.
Instead of attacking the invading bug, the body turns itself on, shutting down vital organs.
If caught early enough, it can be easily treated with intravenous antibiotics and fluids, but these must be given as soon as sepsis is suspected — it strikes with frightening speed, and for every hour delayed, a patient’s chance of dying increases by 8 percent.
Sepsis is a leading cause of preventable death, killing 44,000 people each year
The early symptoms of sepsis can easily be mistaken for milder conditions, meaning it can be difficult to diagnose.
A high temperature (fever), chills and tremors, rapid heartbeat and rapid breathing are also signs.
A patient can quickly deteriorate if sepsis is overlooked early, so prompt diagnosis and treatment is critical – but this rarely happens.
In the early stages, sepsis can be mistaken for a chest infection, the flu, or an upset stomach.
It is most common and dangerous in older adults, pregnant women, children under the age of one, people with chronic medical conditions, or people with compromised immune systems.
The six signs of something potentially deadly can be identified by the acronym “SEPSIS”:
- Slurred speech or confusion
- Extreme tremors or muscle pain
- No urine in a day
- Severe shortness of breath
- Mottled or discolored skin
Anyone who develops any of these symptoms should seek urgent medical help — and doctors should ask, “Could this be sepsis?”
f