Friend of British mum whose ‘heart went missing’ after mysterious death in Turkey speaks out on family's devastation

A family friend of British mum Beth Martin has revealed the devastation her sudden death has had on her loved ones.

Last month, Beth travelled to Turkey with her husband Luke Martin and their two children - aged eight and five - for a family holiday.

However Beth began to feel unwell during their flight to Istanbul with suspected food poisoning. She became 'delirious' the following morning, prompting Luke to call an ambulance.

The 28-year-old mother of two was transported to a local hospital on 28 April and tragically passed away the following morning, with medical staff saying there had been 'concerns with her heart'.

However, the harrowing ordeal didn't end there, with Beth's family discovering that her heart had gone 'missing' after a second autopsy was conducted in the UK.

28-year-old Beth Martin died in Turkey while on a family holiday with her husband and their two children (GoFundMe)

The Turkish health ministry has since responded to the claims, saying Beth's 'cardiac arrest was due to multiple organ failure' and the Portsmouth mother didn't 'undergo any surgical procedures' while in their care. The family have said the hospital is allegedly being investigated for medical negligence.

Family friend Robert Hammond has now spoken out about the impact which Beth's death has had on her loved ones, saying the past month has 'decimated the perfect family unit'.

"Luke and Beth were madly in love, with each other all the time - you couldn't get a more perfect family," he said. “She was so loved, and only 28 - the fact of the matter is, a young girl has died.

"It's destroyed all of us... we're all shadows of who we used to be."

Robert has since set up a GoFundMe - which has received over £250k donations - to help support Luke and his two children. He also travelled out to Turkey to help the 31-year-old after learning Beth was in hospital, unaware of his serious her condition had become.

"The next thing we knew, she was dead," he said.

The family are now desperately trying to work out what happened to her (GoFundMe)

In the hours after Beth was admitted to the hospital, medical staff in Turkey informed the family that she had been transferred to another hospital over 'concerns with her heart'.

By the afternoon of 29 April, the family were informed that she'd passed away.

"It's caused devastation among us all," he added.

The family were then tasked with organising Beth's repatriation back to the UK, where a second autopsy would reveal she was missing her heart.

"It's the most horrific thing, really," Robert said, going on to praise Luke for his strength in looking after his and Beth's children. "Luke is doing amazingly, all things considering. But he's now having to be mum and dad, which he's never had to do before."

If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677.