A 42-year-old woman was told she might never walk again after being left paralysed from the neck down following weight loss surgery in Turkey.
Mum-of-five Danielle Peebles was left unable to walk after she reached 28 stone, but was desperate to get fit in time for her first grandson being born, as like any other grandparent, she wanted to be able to push him around the park and not miss a single moment.
With a long waiting list for surgery on the NHS, Danielle made the decision to travel to Turkey in 2023 for gastric sleeve surgery, costing her nearly £3,000.
As with any weight-loss drug or procedure, there are often serious side effects.
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While it initially seemed to have gone smoothly and without any real issue, Danielle quickly noticed problems upon her return to the UK, saying that she knew something 'wasn't right'.
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, she said: "I was absolutely desperate. I put on a lot of weight over the years. It’s a long wait on the NHS for surgery and I appreciate that, no one could really tell me how long that was going to be.
"I was trying to improve myself, and be a better mum and a better nana as quickly as possible as my grandson was about to be born.
"I was doing what I thought was best for us. I was nervous, it was a big operation but it seemed to go smoothly and I was relieved to feel fine afterwards.
"But from the moment I got home, I just couldn’t eat, I couldn’t keep anything down, I could barely have any liquid. That carried on for weeks and months, I just couldn’t tolerate anything."
The 42-year-old tried to get help from the Turkish hospital but they advised her to go to A&E, and medics there told her she was just dehydrated.
In January 2024 Danielle collapsed after her legs began to feel numb, and when she woke in hospital, she could no longer feel her legs.
She added: "I’d never had weight loss surgery, so I didn’t know if this was just part of it. But then I collapsed and when I came round, I was paralysed from the neck down and couldn’t walk.
"I don’t think I quite realised that I was paralysed, it takes a doctor to tell you even though you can’t walk. I don’t think I understood the severity of how poorly I was. Then I was told I had very severe nerve damage and might not walk again."
Danielle was soon informed that she had nutritional neuropathy, a rare but severe vitamin deficiency.
"The surgical side of my procedure had all been fine, it was how my body dealt with it," she explained. "You don’t hear that you can get nutritional neuropathy from not eating. You’re not told about these side effects because they’re so rare."
Danielle remained in Salford Royal Hospital for five months, all while being away from her children as she underwent a gruelling recovery programme aiming to get her back on her feet.
Thanks to the hard work of both her and the medical team, she was able to walk out of the hospital unaided.
She concluded: "The first time I lifted my head up was to give my son a cuddle again after months. I can walk, but I’ve got a long way to go. I’m still doing more than I ever thought I would."
James Moorhouse