A mother tragically died just hours into her vacation, and coroners later discovered that her heart was missing.
Beth Martin, a mother of two from Portsmouth, became unwell during her flight to Istanbul.
According to The New York Post, she initially attributed her symptoms to food poisoning, but then her condition deteriorated rapidly upon arrival.
Within hours, she exhibited signs of delirium and was admitted to Marmara University Pendik Training and Research Hospital. She passed away the following day, April 28.
Her husband, Luke Martin, stated that he was initially treated as a suspect by Turkish authorities, who alleged he may have poisoned his wife. He was later released without charge.
The Turkish Ministry of Health confirmed Beth died from “cardiac arrest due to multiple organ failure,” but did not specify the underlying cause. The Ministry further asserted that no surgical procedures were performed on Martin and denied that any organs were removed during her treatment.
However, upon the repatriation of Beth’s body to the UK, a post-mortem examination revealed that her heart was missing.
“The UK autopsy began. And then the final blow: Beth’s heart was missing. The Turkish hospital has removed it. No explanation. No consent. They have invaded her body and they have TAKEN her heart,” read a statement on a GoFundMe page established to support the family.
Beth’s relatives now face a prolonged wait, potentially up to six months, for an inquest to determine the exact cause of her death and to clarify the circumstances surrounding the missing organ, per The Mirror.
The family has also raised concerns that medical staff in Turkey may have administered penicillin despite Beth’s known allergy to the drug.
The family’s crowdfunding campaign, launched by friend Robert Hammond, has garnered over £257,444 ($348K), as of this writing.
In a message posted on May 6, Hammond expressed gratitude, stating: “Please can we just thank everyone for taking the time to read this and any help you can offer is not too little.”
He described the emotional toll on the family: “The children and family flew home on the Sunday. Luke stayed a few days more to fly home beside his wife. On Tuesday, they landed together back home."
"In the weeks since bringing Beth home, the family is battered and bruised. Everyone is a shell of themselves, and no one knows how to even begin to recover from something so horrific… yet still - it gets worse," he added.
The campaign page also offered a poignant tribute to Beth: “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."
As investigations continue both in the UK and Turkey, Beth’s family continues to seek answers and accountability for what they describe as a deeply distressing and unexplained tragedy.
Our thoughts are with her loved ones at this time.