Family left horrified as body of mom who died while on vacation is returned 'with her heart missing'
A family have been left traumatised after the body of a mom who died on vacation was allegedly returned with her 'heart missing.'
Beth Martin, from Portsmouth, UK, travelled to Turkey on Sunday (April 27) with her husband Luke and their two children.
According to The New York Post, Beth began feeling ill on the flight over, which she thought at the time was food poisoning.
However, within hours of arriving in Istanbul, she began feeling 'delirious' and was rushed to hospital in an ambulance.
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Luke stayed at the hotel with their kids while he and Beth's moms flew from the UK to give support.
Tragically, the 28-year-old died a day after being sent to hospital, and her grief-stricken family say what allegedly transpired in that time was nothing short of a nightmare.
On Tuesday (April 29), the family discovered Beth had been relocated to an intensive care unit due to 'concerns with her heart'. The family then claimed they were kept in the dark about her health until Luke was 'made to sign a document — without knowing he later translated the statement which had read that Beth had died at around 9am'.
According to the GoFundMe, which was set up to cover the cost of the hospital fees as well as bringing Beth's body back to the UK, the doctor asked if Beth had 'any allergies', adding: "Luke had already told the paramedics when Beth got in the ambulance that she was allergic to penicillin.
"And yet when told again , they were shocked to hear this information — they had no idea and had been treating her for hours at this point."
The page further claims that Luke was allegedly accused of 'poisoning' his wife by the Turkish authorities before being allowed to see his wife for one minute in the morgue - from which he and a translator had to carry her body in a body bag through the hospital.
Luke stayed for another two days in Turkey to escort his wife's body back to the UK and into the care of British coroners - which revealed that her heart was 'missing'.
The fundraiser alleges the Turkish hospital 'removed it' with 'no explanation' or consent, claiming: "They have invaded her body and they have TAKEN her heart.
"Her heart. The piece of Beth that was more treasured more than any other. The piece of her that stopped for a moment when she heard her children's first words. The piece of her that skipped a beat when she said 'I do' at her wedding. The piece of her that pumped viscously with pride whenever she was with her family."
The family have been left desperately searching for answers about what happened, stating that they have endured 'the deepest level of trauma'.
The Turkish Ministry of Health has since revealed Beth died of a 'cardiac arrest due to multiple organ failures,' according to The Daily Mail.
The statement continued: "The patient was recorded in the hospital records as a 'forensic case' in line with the statement of Martin's wife that they may have been poisoned by a meal they ate in their country before the trip, and the initial findings."
"A preliminary autopsy [without incision] was performed at the hospital in accordance with the forensic case procedure and his wife's request in this regard.
"The exact cause of Martin's death could not be determined with the current findings in the preliminary autopsy, which was carried out with the participation of the Public Prosecutor and the forensic medicine doctor.
"Beth Martin did not undergo any surgical procedures during her treatment at the hospital, and there was no question of any organs being removed."
Her family are considering if doctors at the hospital missed something or may have administered her with penicillin, which she was allergic to.
A medical negligence investigation has since been launched into the hospital over her unexplained death.
At the same time, English coroners could take up to six months to determine what caused her organs to fail, The New York Post reports.
At the time of writing, the GoFundMe page has since raised £255,520 (roughly $346,076).
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