England Footballer Kearns Opens Up About Miscarriage and Sepsis: 'Four Days of Hell in Hospital'

England international describes harrowing experience after pregnancy loss and life-threatening infection

Missy Bo Kearns, midfielder for Aston Villa, has revealed the traumatic ordeal she endured following a miscarriage and subsequent sepsis diagnosis that required hospitalization. The England international spoke candidly about the experience to ITV News, offering insight into how quickly her life changed.

Kearns and her partner Liam Walsh, a Luton footballer, announced their pregnancy on 1 March, but the midfielder lost the baby later that same month. On 18 March, while at Villa's Bodymoor Heath training facility, Kearns began experiencing concerning symptoms and consulted with club sports physician Jodie Blackadder-Weinstein.

From Shock to Crisis

"It was one of the biggest shocks of my life," Kearns recounted. "I thought it was just like a pregnancy symptom, and the doctor came in and checked my temperature... I was 42 degrees, but I was shaking."

Upon arrival at the hospital, medical staff delivered devastating news: Kearns had lost the pregnancy and was suffering from sepsis, a severe and potentially life-threatening condition where the body's immune response to infection causes damage to its own tissues and organs.

"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," Kearns explained. "It was a shock, because I'd literally been doing pilates and gym an hour before, and my whole life just changed like that."

Medical Intervention Proved Critical

The 24-year-old credited Dr. Blackadder-Weinstein with potentially saving her life by insisting she seek immediate hospital care. She spent three to four days in a Birmingham hospital alongside Walsh, during which the couple grappled with the dual trauma of losing their baby while confronting a serious medical emergency.

"I'm so thankful for the doctors here at Villa, because if I was at home that day, and I probably would have rung my mum saying, 'Oh, I feel a bit like flu-ish symptoms', everyone would just say, 'Have a sleep' or whatnot, but Jodie made me go to the hospital," Kearns said. "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."

Ongoing Emotional Struggles

Kearns has begun returning to Aston Villa's training ground to reconnect with teammates and work on her physical conditioning. However, she acknowledged that the psychological impact of her experience continues to affect her daily life, describing her emotional state as unpredictable and often overwhelming.

"I wouldn't say I'm fully coping," she admitted. "There's days like today where I feel good, I've been in and around the girls and stuff, I've done my bike, I've done my testing, like, ready to get back on to it. 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."

The midfielder emphasized the importance of seeking support rather than suffering silently, highlighting Tommy's, the United Kingdom's leading pregnancy and baby loss charity, as a valuable resource for those facing similar circumstances.

Return to Football and World Cup Ambitions

Kearns, who began her professional career at Liverpool before transferring to Villa in 2024, does not anticipate returning to competitive play until the next season. The three-time England international remains focused on a broader goal: securing a spot in the Lionesses' squad for next year's World Cup in Brazil.

"Football is my happy place, and I'm here now, and I'm excited to be here and keep trying to build and build and get myself right ready for next season," Kearns stated. "It's a big year next year, and my plan while I was pregnant was to make the World Cup squad, and that's not changed, so the next few months is getting myself physically, mentally strong, ready for a big season, and to try and make the World Cup squad."

She added a reflection on her priorities: "I've realised there's more to life than football, but now I'm going to enjoy every minute of football like it's my last because it could have been."