A woman was left paralysed from the neck down after weight loss surgery in Turkey.
At 28 stone and unable to walk, Danielle Peebles desperately wanted to become fitter for her grandson who was about to be born.
The 42-year-old flew to Turkey in 2023 and paid £2,995 for a gastric sleeve procedure after deciding she could not wait for the operation on the NHS.
But she began experiencing complications soon after returning to the UK.
The mum-of-five’s condition progressively worsened, and she collapsed last year before being diagnosed with nutritional neuropathy, a rare and severe vitamin deficiency.
This sparked a five-month hospital stay at the Salford Royal Hospital in Greater Manchester, where she managed to walk again despite doctors fearing that she may be permanently paralysed.
Describing it as ‘the worst time in [her] life’, she said: ‘I was paralysed from the neck down apart from the worst pain I’ve ever felt in my feet that flared up at the slightest touch.’
Danielle later learned about the extent of her nerve damage and the possibility of never walking again.
‘The surgical side of my procedure had all been fine. It was how my body dealt with it,’ she said.
‘You don’t hear that you can get nutritional neuropathy from not eating,’ she pointed out.
‘You’re not told about these side effects because they’re so rare.’
Turkish weight loss clinics’ rising popularity
An estimated 50,000 Brits travel to Turkey each year for weight loss surgery, a significant increase from around 10,000 five years ago, according to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS).
The main appeal lies in cost with procedures up to 70% cheaper than in the UK.
For example, gastric sleeve surgeries generally cost around £3,000 to £5,000, compared to £8,000 to £12,000 in the UK.
However, there have been numerous reports of complications and concerns about the quality of care.
The Private Healthcare Information Network indicated that around 1,000 patients faced issues after undergoing treatment abroad, prompting many to seek legal advice.
Danielle’s family, including her husband Stephen, faced immense distress as she spent months recovering in hospital.
‘We didn’t know what was going to happen,’ she said.
After five months, Danielle began to regain sensation in her limbs.
She praised the hospital staff, noting how physiotherapists, support workers, and dieticians helped her walk again.
She spoke highly of neurologist Dr Dan Whittam who ‘went out of his way’ to help her.
She was recently reunited with the medical team responsible for her life-changing care.
‘Thank you to ‘Dr Dan’ number one for getting me through everything and making me well and all the nurses on the unit and ward L1,’ she said.
Reflecting on her progress, Dr Whittam said: ‘To see her walking without even a crutch really exceeded my expectations and her determination has been inspiring.’
Addressing her recovery, Danielle’s husband Stephen said: ‘Danielle has done amazingly, and I am so proud of her.
‘She is still in the early stages of her recovery, but she is determined to live as normal a life as possible.’
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