A British tourist says doctors had to fight hard to save her life after she returned to the UK from a four-star package holiday in Egypt with hepatitis, which she claims was caused by poor hygiene by resort staff.
Olivia Hartley says she almost died after returning home from a £1,400 EasyJet package holiday to Hurghada, Egypt, last September.
The 28-year-old, who lives in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire, was on holiday with her fiancé Thomas Winn, 31, at a four-star all-inclusive resort for a week when the couple began to feel unwell.
On the plane home, Olivia said her partner Thomas vomited “six times” while she began feeling nauseous and diarrhea hours after returning home.
Unable to keep any food or water down for three days, Olivia was hospitalized for dehydration and told by doctors that her liver and kidney function was abnormal.
Olivia (pictured, left) said her partner Thomas (pictured, right) vomited “six times” on the flight home while she began feeling nauseous and diarrhea hours after returning home.
Olivia is certain she contracted the deadly virus at the hotel and claims the resort’s food hygiene was “terrible”.
Doctors told Olivia that it was “very likely” that she was infected with hepatitis A.
Doctors told Olivia that it was “very likely” that she was infected with hepatitis A, a liver infection that is transmitted through the waste of an infected person.
Olivia is certain she contracted the deadly virus at the hotel and claims the food hygiene at the resort, which the couple chose not to name, was “terrible”.
Doctors were so concerned that they warned Olivia that she might have to undergo a liver transplant if her condition did not improve.
Fortunately, Olivia recovered, but is still suffering from the effects of the liver and kidney injury, and fears she may need a transplant in the future.
Olivia, assistant psychologist, said: ‘Food hygiene in the hotel was terrible. There were birds everywhere, the food stayed stagnant for a long, long time, they just poured new food on top of the old food that had been sitting out for hours.
‘On the last day, my fiancé and I had a bit of a weird tummy. On the plane back home, my partner vomited about six times.
‘At the time I was fine and (48 hours after arriving home) I started vomiting and diarrhoea. Then I got to the point where I couldn’t keep any liquid down. I was throwing up everything. I had horrible abdominal pains.’
Olivia Hartley says she almost died after returning home from a £1,400 EasyJet package holiday to Hurghada in Egypt
After three days in hospital, Olivia was discharged, but claims liver and kidney damage left her with joint pain and fatigue.
After three days of continuous vomiting, Olivia attended A&E at Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby, where tests revealed her liver function was “disordered” and required urgent treatment.
Olivia said: ‘The doctors told me my liver was very bad and I had kidney damage due to dehydration.
‘They were very concerned about the liver results and the high rates of hepatitis in Egypt. With all that, they said it’s very likely that you have hepatitis. They were 99.9 percent sure he had received it at the hotel.
“They were very sure it was hepatitis and told me that if my liver didn’t start to improve I would need an emergency liver transplant in Leeds, which was terrifying.”
‘In my head, I was thinking the worst. It was a very scary time. No one could completely agree on a treatment plan. I felt very vulnerable.
‘I was afraid of dying. “I asked if I could go home and they said no, if you suffer from organ failure you won’t be able to get to Leeds, it was very serious.”
Olivia said she was worried he still needed a liver transplant due to his illness.
Olivia attended A&E at Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby, where tests revealed her liver function was “disordered” and required urgent treatment.
After three days in hospital, Olivia was discharged, but says liver and kidney damage has left her with joint pain and fatigue, and she worries she may still need a transplant in the future.
Olivia said: “This was going to be the holiday we really needed and it turned into an absolute nightmare.” She discouraged me from vacation packages. This was our first break since Covid; we really needed it.
“This turned into a hellish vacation for us. I have been referred to a liver specialist and there will be regular liver tests to check how it is.
‘I’ve heard other people say that once you have a liver injury, it can deteriorate again out of nowhere. Therefore, he might eventually need a liver transplant if things go wrong again.’
A spokesperson for easyJet Holidays said: “We are very sorry for this customer’s experience and are proactively reaching out to resolve their complaints now that they have been brought to our attention.”
“Our priority is to support our guests throughout their experience, from the booking process to returning home, and we just want to give them a brilliant holiday.”