Son Now A ‘Shell Of What He Used To Be’ After Being Hospitalised In Turkey And In UK Following Salmonella Diagnosis

A Manchester mum whose son was diagnosed with salmonella after being hospitalised during a holiday in Turkey has called on lawyers to gain answers.

Jaxon Bentley, aged 8, started to suffer from severe sickness, stomach cramps, diarrhoea and high temperature three days into a one week stay at the five-star Eftalia Ocean Hotel in Turkey with mum Natalie Parr, 36.

Jaxon was admitted to hospital in Turkey as his symptoms deteriorated. He was only allowed to join his flight home on condition he was admitted to hospital on his return to the UK.

An ambulance was waiting when the flight landed. Once in hospital, Jaxon was diagnosed with salmonella.

After being discharged after four days, Jaxon was re-admitted a day later with kidney failure. At this point, the child was further diagnosed with salmonella B and hypokalaemia, low potassium in the blood which can lead to serious complications if left untreated.

After spending a further 4 days in hospital Jaxon, of Denton, Manchester, was allowed home. However, 2 days later he was re-admitted to hospital for a second time with suspected salmonella meningitis.

By the end of his “ordeal”, he had lost more than a stone in weight.

Once Jaxon was out of danger, mum Natalie, of Denton, Manchester, instructed specialist international serious injury lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate her son’s illnesses.

Expert Opinion

“Natalie has been through every parent’s worst nightmare of seeing their child fall seriously ill abroad. Jaxon is yet to fully recover. His ordeal is deeply concerning and but for swift action and treatment in hospital both in Turkey and the UK, could have been much worse.

“This case demonstrates just how serious gastric illness can be, particularly in the young or old and why it should never be downplayed. As Jaxon’s terrible experience shows, such illnesses can lead to much longer lasting health problems and unexpected complications.

“Understandably, Jaxon’s family have many questions regarding how he became so ill on what was meant to be a relaxing family break.

“If during the course of our investigations any issues are identified, it’s vital these are addressed to reduce the risk of other holidaymakers suffering the same problems.” Jatinder Paul

Jaxon and his mum were in a party of six, including 4 children and two adults holidaying at the five-star Eftalia Ocean Hotel in Alanya, Turkey between 4-11 June, 2023. The holiday was booked through On the Beach Limited.

Jaxon fell ill three days into the holiday after eating eggs. Jaxon was unable to eat or drink and his condition deteriorated so fast that he was sent to hospital.

He was admitted to hospital upon his return to the UK on 11 June. During his four days in hospital, Jaxon was diagnosed with salmonella and gastroenteritis.

After being discharged on 15 June, Jaxon returned to hospital on 17 June. His kidneys had started to fail due to severe dehydration. Further tests confirmed salmonella B and he was treated for hypokalaemia.

When discharged again on 20 June, Jaxon had lost over a stone in weight and needed to use a wheelchair. He was so weak, that he had to be carried upstairs at home. He was given a course of antibiotics but his condition didn’t improve and on 27 June he was so ill that, he was rushed by ambulance to hospital.

Still unable to eat or drink and experiencing convulsions, Jaxon was given a lumber puncture and needed a general anaesthetic for two brain scans for suspected salmonella meningitis. Doctors said the negative result was likely due to the course of antibiotics doing their job.

Jaxon was discharged again on 1 July, but still needed to use a wheelchair and hasn’t been able to put on weight. He remained so weak that he could only do half days at school for a few weeks and remains under hospital supervision as an outpatient, with regular blood tests still needed to monitor his health.

Jaxon’s mum Natalie works as a school dinner lady but was forced to take weeks off work unpaid while her son was so seriously ill.

Natalie said: “We’d all been looking forward so much to this holiday but due to Jaxon’s illness, it’s now one we’ll remember forever for all the wrong reasons.

“He became so very ill, so quickly, that we knew it was more than just a typical upset stomach. It was frightening to have to see him in hospital and it was horrible to see what he was going through and see him becoming visibly weaker before our eyes.

“We knew we had to try to get him to a hospital at home if we possibly could and the flight home was the stuff of nightmares. He was so visibly ill and in pain that passengers on the plane cried seeing him in that condition.

“No one would believe someone could be so ill from a gastric illness or that the effects could be so serious. You feel so helpless when you can’t do anything for your own child and I wish it could have been me instead of him.

“The brain scans and the doctors’ fears left us terrified but thankfully it seems the decision to put him on antibiotics straight away may have prevented his condition from becoming worse.

“A few months on, Jaxon is back at home and while we’ve tried to go back to a normal life, we’re not there yet. He still cannot eat properly without pain.

“A once lively, outgoing boy went on holiday to Turkey came back a shell of what he used to be and the change is simply heart-breaking. My son has been replaced by a quiet, subdued boy, still traumatised by the experience, with night terrors meaning he’s afraid to sleep as well as afraid to eat.

“The thought of any other family going through this is too much to think about, so we knew we had to speak out on this. If we can help prevent others going through the hell we are going through, that will be some comfort. For us, all we really want is the boy who went away on holiday to come back to us.”

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