A British holidaymaker says doctors had to fight hard to save her life after she came back to the UK from a four-star package holiday in Egypt with hepatitis, which she said was caused by the poor hygiene of the resort’s staff.
Olivia Hartley says she nearly died after coming home from a £1,400 easyJet package holiday to Hurghada, in Egypt, last September.
The 28-year-old, who lives in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire, was holidaying with her fiancé Thomas Winn, 31, at an all-inclusive four-star resort for a week when the pair began to feel unwell.
On the plane home, Olivia said her partner Thomas vomited ‘six times’ while she began experiencing sickness and diarrhoea hours after returning home.
Unable to keep any food or water down for three days, Olivia was hospitalised with 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 experiencing sickness and diarrhoea hours after returning home
Olivia is certain she caught the deadly virus from the hotel – claiming food hygiene at the resort was ‘terrible’
Doctors told Olivia that it was ‘very likely’ she was infected with Hepatitis A
Doctors told Olivia that it was ‘very likely’ she was infected with Hepatitis A – a liver infection that is spread in the waste of an infected person.
Olivia is certain she caught the deadly virus from the hotel – claiming food hygiene at the resort, which the couple chose not to name, was ‘terrible’.
Medics were so concerned that they warned Olivia that she may have to undergo a liver transplant if her condition does not improve.
Luckily, Olivia made a recovery – but is still suffering the effects of the liver and kidney injury, with concerns she may still need a transplant in the future.
Olivia, an assistant psychologist, said: ‘The food hygiene at the hotel was terrible. There were birds everywhere, food lay stagnant for a long, long time, they just poured new food on top of old food that had been out for hours.
‘On the last day, me and my fiance both had a bit of a funny tummy. On the plane home, my partner vomited about six times.
‘I was fine at this point then [48 hours after coming home] I started with vomiting and diarrhoea. Then I got to the point where I couldn’t keep down any liquids whatsoever. I was just vomiting everything up. I had horrific abdominal pains.’
Olivia Hartley says she nearly died after coming home from a £1,400 easyJet package holiday to Hurghada, in Egypt
After three days in hospital, Olivia was discharged but claims the liver and kidney damage has left her with joint pain and fatigue
After three days of continuous vomiting, Olivia went to A&E at Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby where tests revealed her liver function was ‘deranged’ and required urgent treatment.
Olivia said: ‘The doctors told me my liver was in a very bad way and I have kidney damage from the dehydration.
‘They were very worried about the liver results and concerned due to the high hepatitis rates in Egypt. With all that, they said it’s very likely you have hepatitis. They were 99.9 per cent sure I’d got it from the hotel.
‘They were very sure it was hepatitis and told me if my liver doesn’t start to improve, you will 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 fully agree on a treatment plan. I felt very vulnerable.
‘I was scared I would die. I asked if I could go home and they said no, if you go into organ failure, you won’t make it to Leeds, it was very serious.’
Olivia said she was worried she may still need a liver transplant due to the illness she suffered
Olivia went to A&E at Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby where tests revealed her liver function was ‘deranged’ and required urgent treatment
After three days in hospital, Olivia was discharged but claims the liver and kidney damage has left her with joint pain and fatigue – with concerns 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. It put me off package holidays. This was our first break since Covid – we really needed this break.
‘This turned into a holiday from hell for us. I’ve been referred to a liver specialist and it’ll be regular liver tests to check how it is.
‘I’ve heard from other people that once you have a liver injury, it can deteriorate out of nowhere again. So I could eventually still need a liver transplant if things start to go downhill again.’
An easyJet holidays spokesperson said: ‘We’re really sorry to hear about this customer’s experience, and we’re proactively reaching out to resolve their complaints, now that they’ve been brought to our attention.
‘It’s our priority to support our customers throughout their experience, from the booking process to returning home, and we want nothing more than to deliver brilliant holidays.’