A 20-YEAR-OLD woman passed away after undergoing a painful weight loss operation in her first ever trip abroad.
Described by her loved ones as ‘beautiful’ and ‘a bright light’, Morgan Maria Ribeiro travelled to Turkey for a gastric sleeve surgery in January.
Morgan Maria Ribeiro passed away from sepsis and complications following a weight loss surgery in TurkeyProvided
ProvidedHer family described Morgan as beautiful and a bright light[/caption]
Morgan’s cousin Hayley Louise Scollan said: “I hope that this will stop anybody else from travelling to Turkey for this surgery”Provided
Her partner James Brewster, 19, who accompanied her, said Morgan had researched her options thoroughly before booking the £2,500 gastric sleeve op.
Morgan went under the knife on January 5, after travelling to Turkey the previous day.
Though she woke up in discomfort, medics told her she would be fine and gave her the green light to leave the clinic three days later, The Independent reported.
But Morgan fell seriously ill on her flight back to Gatwick Airport, forcing pilots to make an emergency landing in Serbia, where the 20-year-old was rushed to hospital.
There, James was told his girlfriend was going into septic shock and that her small intestine had been cut during the gastric sleeve procedure, causing an infection.
Surgeons removed 10cm of her small intestine, but Morgan suffered a heart attack on January 9 and was placed in a coma. She passed away just four days later.
Her devastated mum Erin Gibson, 44, told The Independent she “never wants this to happen to another daughter”.
Morgan’s cousin Hayley Louise Scollan told The Sun she was deeply loved by her family.
“I hope that this will stop anybody else from travelling to Turkey for this surgery,” she added.
‘See you on the other side’
Though Erin always told her daughter she was “beautiful inside and out”, Morgan struggled with her weight and endured cruel bullying because of it.
In a GoFundMe to raise funds for a ‘perfect send off’, Jamie recalled how his partner just ‘wanted to fit in’.
“But in actual fact she was the most beautiful woman and she was my other half,” he wrote.
The 20-year-old hadn’t wanted to spend years on the NHS waiting list for a surgery, he told The Independent.
Weight loss surgery, also called bariatric or metabolic surgery, is a major operation only offered via the NHS to people with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more who’ve struggled to lose weight with dieting and exercise.
It involves removing part of the stomach, joining the top of it to the small intestine or placing a band around the organ, so you’ll feel fuller quicker.
Morgan had a virtual consultation with a company that connects prospective weight-loss patients with surgeries abroad in September 2023.
Jamie claimed hospital staff who spoke to her with the help of a translator about the procedure and recovery didn’t mention the risks associated with the operation.
Erin only found out Morgan’s plans to travel to Turkey when her daughter had already boarded her flight.
“I had that sinking feeling because I’d heard horror stories about Turkey,” she recalled.
Morgan posted a clip to her TikTok in the days before her surgery, tragically captioned: “My last post before weight loss surgery – see you on the other side.”
‘Something was seriously wrong’
After going under the knife for two and a half hours on January 5, Morgan woke up in some discomfort and was told she could return home three days later.
During her flight to London, Jamie said Morgan was “really hot and in a lot of pain”.
“The flight attendant gave her some ice and water and she was finding it hard to breathe so they took her to the front of the plane where there was more space, they tried to give her an oxygen mask.
“I could tell something was seriously wrong.”
The flight made an emergency landing in Belgrade, Serbia, where she passed away in hospital just five days later.
Her family has now launched a fundraising page to bring Morgan back to the UK and give her the best send off possible.
Sophia Silva, the 20-year old’s aunt, said Morgan “was a beautiful, bright light and was loved and adored by many”.
“Her great sense of humour, caring nature and bubbly personality made her so unique,” she wrote.
“We are asking for your generous donations to help pay to bring her back from Serbia and to pay for the funeral that she deserves.
“Anything you are able to give will be greatly appreciated so her loved ones can say their goodbyes.”
A government spokesman told The Independent: “We are supporting the family of a British woman who died in Belgrade and are in contact with the local authorities.
“We urge anyone considering a medical procedure abroad to review our travel advice and the relevant guidance from the NHS and other professional bodies.”
ProvidedMorgan had a great sense of humour and adored by many, her family said[/caption]
Though she was given the green light to leave the clinic in Turkey, Morgan grew seriously unwell on the flight back to LondonProvided