More than £140k raised for family of mum who mysteriously died in Turkey before autopsy revealed 'heart was missing'
A huge amount has been raised for the family who suffered a terrible tragedy in Turkey late last month, as a 28-year-old mum died in mysterious circumstances.
Beth and Luke Martin were on holiday with their two young children at the end of April, but tragically, the family from Portsmouth returned home one fewer following a nightmare few days abroad.
Having landed in Turkey on 27 April, Beth soon started feeling ill, and after becoming 'delirious' the next morning, she was rushed to hospital by ambulance.
Following an extremely stressful day, where the language barrier and strict rules at the hospital meant that Luke received little to no updates from doctors, he and his family were informed the next day that Beth had passed away, with her cause of death still unclear.
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Luke had told paramedics about Beth's allergy to penicillin, but reportedly, the doctors weren't made aware for several hours, and the husband was even accused at one point by local authorities of 'poisoning' his wife.
He was also only told that she had been transferred to a different hospital due to issues with her heart, shortly before her death.
A GoFundMe page was promptly set up by friend Robert Hammond, in which he provided alarming details about the family's heartbreaking ordeal in Turkey, and the shock discovery they made upon the return to the UK.
After Luke ensured that his wife's body was brought back to their home country, an autopsy was completed, which allegedly discovered that the mum's 'heart was missing'.
"The Turkish hospital has removed it", the GoFundMe page reads. "No explanation. No consent. They have invaded her body and they have TAKEN her heart.
"Her heart. The piece of Beth that was more treasured more than any other. The piece of her that stopped for a moment when she heard her children's first words. The piece of her that skipped a beat when she said 'I do' at her wedding. The piece of her that pumped viscously with pride whenever she was with her family."
The GoFundMe, which is aiming to raise funds to help the family through their unimaginable pain, and cover the costs of treatment and bringing all of Beth's body back home, has already raised well over £140k at the time of writing, and only looks likely to fly up further.
On Facebook, Luke wrote: "It has been the worst and most traumatic week of my entire life, and to top it off.. I had to break the news to my babies that their mum isn't coming home, it broke me.
"Even more so when I had to say goodbye to them so they could be brought home by family. Knowing my wife was still on my flight but I couldn't be next to her broke me even more.
"The harsh reality of coming home and the world's still spinning as if nothing has happened is horrible. Realisation of becoming mum and dad, packing her clothes away for the last time, and the deafening silence when the kids are asleep."
The hospital in Turkey, which hasn't been named, is also reportedly being investigated for 'potential negligence', according to the fundraiser.
James Moorhouse