Woman left paralysed from the neck down after weight loss surgery in Turkey.
Danielle Peebles, who weighed 28 stone and was unable to walk, was desperate to improve her health for the sake of her soon-to-be-born grandson.
The 42-year-old travelled to Turkey in 2023 and paid £2,995 for gastric sleeve surgery, choosing this route because she could not wait for the operation on the NHS.
However, she developed complications soon after returning to the UK.
The mother of five's condition gradually worsened and last year she collapsed and was diagnosed with nutritional neuropathy, a rare and serious vitamin deficiency.
This led to her spending five months in Salford Royal Infirmary in Greater Manchester, where she was able to walk again despite doctors' fears she could be paralysed for life.
Describing the period as “the hardest time of [her] life”, she said: “I was paralysed from the neck down and had terrible pain in my legs which got worse at the slightest touch.”
Danielle later learned the extent of her nerve damage and that she might never walk again.
“The surgical part of my procedure was a success. The problem was how my body responded,” she said.
“You don't hear about the fact that you can get nutritional neuropathy if you don't eat properly,” she added.
“These side effects are not discussed because they are extremely rare.”
Danielle's family, including her husband Stephen, endured a tremendous amount of suffering while she spent several months recovering in hospital.
“We didn't know what to expect,” she said.
After five months, Danielle began to regain feeling in her limbs.
She expressed gratitude to hospital staff, noting how physiotherapists, support workers and dieticians helped her walk again.
She praised the work of neurologist Dr Dan Whittam, who “put everything into it” in her recovery.
She recently met with a medical team who provided her with life-changing care.
Sourse: metro.co.uk
