A DISTRAUGHT mum has accused a cosmetic surgery clinic of taking her daughter’s money then leaving her to die.
Morgan Ribeiro, 20, flew to Istanbul, Turkey, with her partner James Brewster, 19, for a £2,500 gastric sleeve operation on January 5.
Morgan Ribeiro died following weight loss surgery in TurkeyProvided
The 20-year-old travelled to Turkey with her boyfriend James BrewsterProvided
Despite waking up in pain, Morgan was told by medics she could leave the centre three days later.
But Morgan, from South London, fell seriously ill on the plane back to Gatwick Airport, forcing pilots to make an emergency landing in Belgrade, Serbia, where she 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 4in (10cm) of her small intestine, but Morgan suffered a heart attack on January 9 and was placed in a coma.
She passed away four days later.
Speaking to MailOnline, Morgan’s mum Erin Gibson criticised staff for discharging her “too early” and not taking good enough care of her.
“There was no way Morgan should have been discharged from hospital after only three days following such a complicated procedure – they took her money, and they left her to die,” she said.
“These people need to be stopped. They are only interested in selling our young people a dream.
“But what is it for? To conform to the pressures of society.”
Morgan’s relatives say despite being “beautiful inside and out”, she was bullied due to her size, and couldn’t face years on NHS waiting lists so researched her options before booking the surgery for a “bargain price”.
Weight loss surgery, also called bariatric or metabolic surgery, is a major operation only offered through the NHS to people with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more who have struggled to lose weight with dieting and exercise.
Morgan allegedly had a virtual consultation with a firm that connects prospective weight loss patients with clinics abroad in September 2023.
It is understood she then paid £2,500 to a company in Switzerland before jetting to Turkey to have the procedure – which involves removing part of the stomach so you cannot eat as much and you feel fuller.
James claims hospital staff, who spoke to her through a translator, never mentioned the risks involved with the operation.
Mum-of-five Erin also only found out about Morgan’s plans when she had already boarded her flight, by which point it was too late to warn her.
“I had that sinking feeling because I’d heard horror stories about Turkey,” she said.
“I would never had had let her go ahead with it if I had known.”
‘Something was seriously wrong’
Morgan, who had never been abroad until this trip, posted a video to TikTok shortly before she went under knife.
It was captioned: “My last post before weight loss surgery – see you on the other side.”
She then woke up in agony after the two-and-a-half-hour op but medics assured her she was fine to head home 36 hours later.
However, mid-flight, Morgan suddenly became “really hot and was in a lot of pain” and the Wizz Air plane made an emergency landing in Serbia.
“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 and they tried to give her an oxygen mask,” James said.
“I could tell something was seriously wrong.”
After the emergency landing, she was taken to a hospital, where doctors discovered her small intestine had been cut and become infected.
“The surgeon shouldn’t have been anywhere near there,” Erin, 44, said.
Her family are now warning anyone considering going abroad for weight loss surgery to think twice.
Erin told The Independent she “never wants this to happen to another daughter”.
And speaking to The Sun, Morgan’s cousin Hayley Louise Scollan added: “I hope that this will stop anybody else from travelling to Turkey for this surgery.”
They are also raising money to bring Morgan, whom they described as “a beautiful, bright light who was loved and adored by many”, back to the UK and pay for her funeral.
A government spokesperson 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.”
A Wizz Air rep added: “We can confirm that during a flight from Istanbul to London Gatwick we made a diversion to Belgrade due to a passenger requiring medical assistance.
“The health and safety of our passengers and crew is our top priority, and in this instance the passenger was disembarked from the aircraft to seek urgent medical attention.
“We’re incredibly saddened to hear of the passenger passing away following their medical treatment and our thoughts remain with their family at this time.”
Morgan, from South London, fell seriously ill on the plane back to Gatwick AirportProvided
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
Morgan had a great sense of humour and was adored by many, her relatives saidProvided
Morgan with her dad and brother, who are helping to raise money for her funeralProvided