TODAY is World Sepsis Day, and the family of a 16-year-old gymnast who died from the illness will be in Newport city centre this afternoon to raise awareness and help teach people how to spot the warning signs.

Lucy Ellis, a student at Bassaleg School, was admitted to the Royal Gwent Hospital in May after falling ill.

She was diagnosed with sepsis but by the time the necessary specialist equipment arrived from London, her health had deteriorated too much for her to be saved.

She died on May 15.

Since then her family has set up a foundation in her name to raise awareness about the illness, commonly known as 'blood poisoning', and to campaign for the specialist blood oxygenation equipment which treats sepsis patients to be made available in Wales.

READ MORE: The family of Newport gymnast Lucy Ellis call for specialist equipment to be made available in Wales

Now, on World Sepsis Day, her family will take their message to the streets of Newport.

They will be based at a gazebo outside the Burger King restaurant on Commercial Street, 11am-6pm, where they will be handing out leaflets with information about sepsis, as well as encouraging people to support the Lucy Ellis Foundation.

The Global Sepsis Alliance, which promotes World Sepsis Day, has said not enough is being done globally to curb sepsis, which is "one of the most prevalent but misdiagnosed deadly diseases".

The illness is a life-threatening condition that arises when the body’s response to infection results in organ dysfunction or failure.

Sepsis is often confused with other conditions in its early stages, with delayed recognition of the signs and symptoms quickly leading to multi-system organ failure, and, ultimately, death.

Sepsis needs to be treated as an emergency because every delay in administration of antimicrobials and other appropriate measures increases mortality rate on an hourly basis.

For more information on the Lucy Ellis Foundation and to donate visit www.lucyellis.love