A British mother who passed away while on vacation reportedly had her heart removed without the family’s knowledge. Her stunned relatives only discovered this when her body was repatriated to the UK.
Beth Martin, 28, from Portsmouth, was rushed to hospital after falling ill while on a dream trip to Turkey.
The mum-of-two had set off on the trip with husband Luke along with their kids, aged 8 and 5, on April 27.
Beth then became “delirious” when the family landed in Turkey and was taken to hospital.
She died two days later, leaving Luke to explain the tragedy to their two young children.
The family then claim they were left completely in the dark by Turkish authorities – with Luke even being accused of “poisoning” his beloved wife.
And sickeningly, once they finally got back to the UK with her body – a UK autopsy revealed her heart had been removed in Turkey.
Luke described the ordeal as the “worst week of his life” and the family are now desperate for answers.
In a post on social media on May 11, he said: “It broke me.”
The family, who have not been told her cause of death, claim they were also forced to carry Beth in a body bag through the hospital.
And they have claimed Beth’s death is now being investigated as “potential negligence” by the hospital.
Luke told how he was then shocked when Turkish police initially accused of poisoning and killing his wife after his shock death.
The grieving husband and father shared an emotional tribute on Facebook after returning to the UK.
He stated: “Many people who know me are aware that I don’t usually share personal matters on social media, but news spreads quickly. So, I thought it was best if you hear about it directly from me.
“Two weeks ago, my wife, our two kids, and I went to Turkey for a family trip. Unfortunately, only three of us returned. I lost my wife, my kids lost their mother, and we all lost the most significant part of our family puzzle.”
“It has been the worst and most traumatic week of my entire life, and to top it off. I had to break the news to my babies that their mum isn’t coming home, it broke me.
It has been the worst and most traumatic week of my entire life, and to top it off. I had to break the news to my babies that their mum isn’t coming home, it broke me
Luke Martin
“Even more so when I had to say goodbye to them so they could be brought home by family.
“I stayed in Turkey another two days to ensure she was brought back, and booked myself on the same flight home. Knowing my wife was still on my flight but I couldn’t be next to her broke me even more.
“The harsh reality of coming home and the world’s still spinning as if nothing has happened is horrible.
“Realisation of becoming mum and dad, packing her clothes away for the last time, and the deafening silence when the kids are asleep.
“If anyone can take anything away from this…hold your loved ones a little longer, don’t sleep on an argument, take photos, take videos, tell them you love them more.
“You will never know when any of these may be your last
“I love you babe, forever by my side. This life and the next.”
‘TRAUMATISED’
A Go Fund Me has been set up to support the family, which has already seen nearly £140k raised.
Close friend Robert Hammond, who set up the fundraiser, gave more details about how the horror unfolded in Turkey.
He said Beth was rushed to hospital, while Luke and their children followed in a taxi.
“Beth at this point was not herself and scared, language barriers again made everything worse,” he wrote.
“The children traumatised — watched helplessly as their mum was pinned down, poked prodded invasively by strangers.”
Robert told how this was tragically the last time the family saw Beth alive.
The mum-of-two was treated in intensive care and told she was in critical condition but Luke was banned from seeing her.
There were no updates beyond this from the hospital.
Beth and Luke’s parents flew out the following day and were again kept in the dark.
They were then shocked to discover Beth had been transferred to another hospital overnight, due to “concerns with her heart” with none of the family members informed.
“Following hours of silence over Beth’s condition Turkish police arrived at the hotel to interrogate Luke with no translator,” continued Robert.
“Hotel staff acted as intermediaries. Through broken communication, Luke was made to sign a document – without knowing he later translated the statement which had read that Beth had died at around 9am.
“He had heard nothing from the hospital regarding this and was constantly texting and calling his mum asking if they had been allowed to see her yet.
“Now, in an unforeseeable turn – he was considered by Turkish authorities a suspect in her death. Specifically, that he had poisoned her.”
Being wrongfully accused in a foreign country of murdering someone you love so dearly is life-altering
Robert Hammond
Police later abandoned their line of questioning and revealed Beth was actually still alive.
“The doctor asked if Beth had allergies. Luke had already told the paramedics when Beth got in the ambulance that she was allergic to penicillin,” Robert continued.
“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.
“That evening, the hospital called Luke. Beth had passed. This time, it really was true. Beth was gone.”
The family were informed of Beth’s death in a hospital hallway, and then ordered to pay £2,000.
‘NO HUMANITY’
Their heartbreak only deepened when staff told them they weren’t allowed to see her.
After returning to the hotel, police then arrived to tell Luke they would be burying Beth the next day – which he refused.
He demanded to fly her home, and was told to be at the hospital by 8am to be interviewed by a prosecutor.
Robert continued: “After cooperating fully, he begged, sobbing, to see his wife. He was allowed into the morgue to see her.
They were then instructed to carry Beth’s body in a zipped body bag. They had to take a corner of the bag each and shift her corpse
Robert
“For one minute. No more. The staff over his shoulder made sure of that.
“Being wrongfully accused in a foreign country of murdering someone you love so dearly is life-altering.
“Beth’s mum was allowed to see her but was under strict instructions to wash her hands, not touch her and not even kiss her. Yet again, staff were over her shoulder, she couldn’t even embrace her dead daughter’s body.
“They were then instructed to carry Beth’s body in a zipped body bag. They had to take a corner of the bag each and shift her corpse.
“It is incomprehensible to believe that the mother, husband and best friend of this 28 year old young woman, were told to take her body bag through a hospital.
“The fourth corner of the bag – carried by the translator. They approached an elevator with her body. As they waited, the translator had the audacity to tap away at her body bag. Like it was luggage. Like it was the briefcase of a businessman who’s late for a meeting. No compassion. No humanity.”
After living through the unimaginable horror, Luke was faced with telling his children their mum had died.
“He watched the light drain from their eyes. That pain is permanent,” said Robert.
‘FIGHTING BACK’
The family are now “a shell of themselves” after learning Beth’s heart was removed by the Turkish hospital without explanation or consent.
Robert added: “And this is why we are fighting back. Luke has spent thousands. He’s self-employed, meaning that if he’s not back to work in a matter of days, he won’t be able to support his family.
“They are grieving, traumatised and now trying to put the pieces of their family back together.
“After everything the family have been through – Luke believes passionately that this is something that cannot be taken lying down.
“Beth’s death is now being investigated as a potential negligence by the hospital.”
