A woman has revealed the deadly effort her sister made to lose weight and gain confidence that ultimately cost her her life.
Aimee Hunt, 37, from Northampton, appeared on This Morning today to speak about her beloved sister Sophie, 34, who passed away last year.
Speaking to hosts Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary, Aimee explained how Sophie was insecure about her body and struggled to feel good after trying to lose weight through diet and exercise.
Aimee said, “She told us everything that she was going to Turkey, that she was going to have this surgery, and her words were that she would get ‘a million dollars’ back.” That was it. Nobody told her otherwise.
“She was a bigger girl, she was on diets, but she loved food.” When you love food, it’s hard.
Heartbroken, Aimee says she was naive to think nothing would go wrong with the surgery and hopes her sister’s story will save someone’s life
Sophie had tried diet and exercise but couldn’t shift the weight and thought surgery was the solution – this is a photo she sent to her family before the surgery
Aimee (left) and her sister Sophie were very close and she was supportive as she said she wanted to have a tummy tuck and lipo surgery at a clinic in Turkey
“My mother really didn’t want her to go, she was very worried. We were all worried but I just wanted to make Sophie happy and she said she really wanted to do it so I supported her decision.”
Sophie and her friend Dannielle, who was also scheduled for surgery, did extensive research on clinics before deciding on the GNR Aesthetics Clinic.
After paying £3,963 for a tummy tuck and liposuction, the mother of two traveled to Istanbul, Turkey in March 2022.
Aimee recalls the moment she got a call from Danielle and says everything was fine up to that point.
She and Sophie had texted and she seemed fine, and although Aimee hadn’t heard from her for a while, she assumed she was asleep after the surgery.
Aimee said to Alison and Dermot: “I got a call from her friend and she just said, “They told me to call you, you have to come out.”
“I just knew it. “Obviously I panicked, threw things in a bag and looked for the next flight so I could fly there.”
After the initial conversation with Danielle, Aimee said she asked for someone from the hospital to call her, and about 20 minutes later someone from the clinic rang.
They didn’t want to tell her anything other than to say that Sophie was “okay, but not okay.”
Aimee assumed that meant there was still hope that her sister would be okay, and she clung to that.
The next morning, Aimee flew out and was picked up by a car from the airport and taken to the hospital.
They took her to an adjoining room and told her that Sophie had gone into cardiac arrest.
Aimee demanded to see them but was told this was not possible as the laws in Turkey regarding Covid patients and ICU patients meant she was not allowed to go inside.
At that point, she said she still had hope because she assumed Sophie was still alive because she was in intensive care.
The doctor then explained that she had been on CPR for 90 minutes, to which Aimee asked if that meant Sophie was brain dead.
When told that an exit was possible, Aimee was advised to prepare for the worst and that now all they could do was pray.
Aimee says she stuck by it, but when she went back to the hospital 30 minutes later after dropping off her bag, she was immediately told her sister Sophie had died.
She revealed, “I said I wanted to see her because I had to.”
“So I saw her, which was just awful, and I felt like at the time, I can remember thinking vaguely that she didn’t look like someone who had just died.”
“It wasn’t more than an hour ago.”
Back in the family room, the doctor came back in and held Aimee’s hand before dropping a giant bombshell.
She continued, “He held my hand and said, ‘I wasn’t completely honest with you.’ “Your sister had already passed away before you came here.”
Stunned, Aimee explained that they thought it would be better if they waited because she had a long journey and was stressed before they broke the bad news to her.
According to The Sun, Sophie’s death certificate states that she died at 9.25am Turkey – 7.24am UK time – three hours before Aimee even boarded the plane.
Over a year later, Aimee and her family are still waiting for answers as to why Sophie died and what exactly went wrong.
Despite an autopsy carried out in Turkey, there are still no concrete reasons for her death.
Clearly emotional, Aimee told Dermot and Alison, “I think my sister and I were naïve when we thought everything would be fine.” Why think like that? Every operation involves risks.
“She wanted this body so badly and now her children don’t have a mother.”
‘I hope [my sister’s story] makes someone think. You never think it will be you or your family.’
Aimee says her beautiful sister was a “foodie” and struggled to lose weight because she believed surgery was the only option
Dermot O’Leary and Alison Hammond were stunned by Aimee’s heartbreaking story and couldn’t believe she had only found out about her sister’s death upon her arrival
Dermot read a statement from GNR at the end of the interview, which said: “We deeply regret Sophie’s death but are not responsible for it.” She was given the care and attention she needed.
“It is a health tourism agency that is not licensed to perform surgical procedures, nor has it stated on its compliant website that it is.”
“Patients signed agency contracts with them and a surgical consent form with the hospital’s GNR contracts to perform the surgery.” They have no legal power to intervene between the hospital and patients and only communicate through hotels and transfers, which refer patients to doctors for treatment .
“Sophie had complaints with the hospital where she was operated on and was under contract with the hospital.”
“We have tried to contact the hospital for an answer but have not received an answer.”
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