LONDON: A British woman left fighting for her life following cosmetic surgery in Turkey was set to return to the UK on Thursday.
English teacher Michelle Williams, 46, has spent more than three months in intensive care following a rhinoplasty surgery.
In August she decided to have surgery at the Academic Hospital in Istanbul, but shortly after general anaesthetic was administered she suffered a cardiac arrest and went in and out of seizures for several hours, according to a MailOnline report.
Her sister, Nikisha Lynch, said Williams remains in critical condition and her family remain unsure of the damage caused by the procedure.
Williams, originally from London, was teaching at a primary school in Turkey in what she called her “dream job.”
When her family arrived in Turkey, they were told Williams had suffered a brain injury.
“It is a nightmare,” Lynch told the Sun newspaper. “She is still critical. We really don't know how much damage has been done. We speak to her every day, we pray, we sing, we play music, but there’s no communication.
“The hospital didn’t want to let her leave unless we paid the bill, but we came to an understanding so she could,” she added.
“Michelle has been through a lot. She has not regained consciousness after what happened and she has got some brain damage, but we don’t know to what extent.”
According to Lynch, her sister called her on Aug. 14 to say she was excited about the surgery, which cost in the region of £3,500 ($4,592).
“The next thing, I got a phone call at about 12.20 p.m. telling me that she had suffered a cardiac arrest. I was shocked. We flew straight over to Istanbul and have taken it in turns to go there ever since.”
According to medical staff at the hospital, the brain injury was caused by a lack of oxygen. Williams has also come down with pneumonia and requires a tube to be fed.
Her family have said they are suing the hospital for negligence.
The lawyer for the family, Burcu Holmgren, at London Legal International, said: “At the moment the family have not had to pay, but the hospital still insists there is a bill to pay.
“She won’t have a normal life again, no matter how it turns out. It is awful, a teacher — a young, beautiful teacher and she just wanted rhinoplasty. It’s just supposed to be a very simple procedure.”
With other examples of Turkish surgeries-gone-wrong in her caseload, Holmgren urged others to do research and wherever possible remain in their home countries for treatment.
Lynch and the rest of Williams’ family are using a GoFundMe page to raise money for the repatriation flight costs and legal fees in their fight against the hospital.
A UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesman said: “Our staff are supporting a British woman in hospital in Turkey.
“We have offered advice to her, and are in contact with her family, her legal representatives and the Turkish health authorities.”
