Jacob Dye

In October, I’m taking part in the ICF Stepping Up for ICU Challenge, with a goal of walking 200,000 steps. That number represents the approximately 200,000 people across Australia and New Zealand who require ICU care each year.

For me, this challenge is personal.

In 2023, a small scratch on my leg became a Group A Streptococcus infection that led to septic shock, multi-organ failure, and weeks in hospital. I spent time in ICU fighting for my life, undergoing emergency surgery, mechanical ventilation, kidney replacement therapy, and intensive organ support. At one point, my family was told my chances of survival were less than 5%.

Today, I can walk those 200,000 steps because an extraordinary group of ICU clinicians, nurses, allied health staff, and researchers were there when I needed them most. They kept me alive when my body could no longer keep itself alive.

The challenge is also a reminder that survival is only part of the story. Recovery after critical illness can take months or years. Relearning how to walk, rebuilding strength, coping with trauma, and adapting to lasting physical changes are realities faced by many ICU survivors. My own recovery continues more than three years later. 

As both an ICU survivor and a researcher, I have seen firsthand the incredible impact that critical care services can have. I have also seen the importance of improving life after ICU through research, support services, and advocacy.

So every step I take is for the people currently in ICU, for those rebuilding their lives after critical illness, for the families who sit at the bedside waiting and hoping, and for the clinicians who dedicate their careers to helping people survive the impossible.

200,000 steps for 200,000 ICU patients.

If you'd like to support the challenge, please consider donating, sharing the campaign, or simply taking a few extra steps yourself. Every step is a reminder that recovery is possible, and that behind every ICU admission is a person, a family, and a story worth fighting for.