Daughter left in a coma after food poisoning at five-star resort

A two-year-old girl suffered a blood clot and was put in a coma after a horrendous bout of food poisoning on an all-inclusive holiday in Egypt.

Chloe Crook jetted off to the five-star Jaz Aquaviva resort in Hurghada in July with her parents but began exhibiting debilitating gastric symptoms just two days later.

She was then rushed to hospital by ambulance where she temporarily lost her vision and became non-verbal - before bruising appeared under the skin on her head.

Worrying tests later revealed her kidneys were not working properly, and she underwent emergency dialysis in a semi-sedated state.

Chloe was then found to have Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome (HUS), potentially a fatal blood condition linked to the bacteria E. coli, which can lead to brain damage.

Following the family's return to the UK, Chloe was placed into a coma for four days, before developing pneumonia and blood clots in her neck and arm.

Her mum, Megan, 34, said since her hospital discharge, she needs assistance to move freely and now suffers 'nightmares' from her horrendous experience.

She said: 'Since coming home, Chloe is a totally different girl.

'She used to be very social and loved going to nursery, but now she shies away from interacting with people outside her immediate circle.

'She's also started having nightmares about being in hospital; waking up screaming and shouting 'no,' repeatedly and it's horrible to see how affected she is.

 'Chloe has been left traumatised by what she has been through, and it has been incredibly difficult to try and come to terms with what's happened.'

Megan and Chloe's dad, Alex, 40, have since instructed serious injury lawyers at legal firm Irwin Mitchell to investigate their daughter's illness.

Jennifer Hodgson, a lawyer from the company, said: 'The family's holiday turned into nothing short of a nightmare after Chloe fell ill.

'They understandably have many questions and concerns over how she went on to develop E. coli, and the subsequent complications as a result of developing HUS.

'E. coli is extremely serious and can result in long-term health problems, which is potentially the case with Chloe.

'If, during the course of our investigations, any issues are identified, action needs to be taken to reduce the risk of other holidaymakers falling ill in the future.'

Chloe, from Kent, and her parents booked a week-long holiday from July 2 to July 10 this year through tour operator TUI.

But it wasn't long before she started suffering from bloody diarrhoea, vomiting, fatigue and stomach cramps.

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After she was taken to a hospital in Egypt, she was administered intravenous medication, including antibiotics.

But her condition continued to worsen until Megan found out that she in fact had HUS, which could have been linked to the dangerous bacteria E. coli.

She said: 'When we were in Egypt, she was in so much pain and was only given paracetamol as relief.

'The standard of care was nowhere near what we would have expected, and we kept being told that Chloe had gastroenteritis.

'We had to push for more tests to be done, as we knew there was something very wrong with our daughter.

'It was so distressing for Alex and me to see her like that and know that we couldn't do anything; we felt completely helpless.

She went on: 'To find out that it was E. coli and HUS was a huge shock to us.

'We have read reports on tragic cases of this where children have been brain damaged or lost their life due to this horrific illness and we were terrified.

'Then to be told she was suffering an acute kidney injury and had to be placed into an induced coma due to the seizures, was horrifying.'

Almost four months on, Chloe is on anti-seizure medication, blood thinners, and a number of other medications.

She continued to suffer from vomiting and lack of appetite for a period and now gets tired easily.

Chloe will also require annual check-ups on her kidney function.

Another holidaymaker, Samantha Rice, 32, was diagnosed with Shigella, an intestinal infection, after returning from the Jaz Aquaviva resort in Hurghada this summer.

Samantha's trip, also booked through TUI, took place from July 16 to 31, and she fell ill after just one week.

She suffered bloody diarrhoea, fatigue, stomach cramps and a high temperature. She also had a rash.

Samantha required hospital treatment in Egypt, including intravenous fluids and blood tests.

Upon her return to the UK, Samantha, from Preston, Lancs., was diagnosed with Shigella and admitted to hospital where she was administered IV antibiotics.

Almost three months on, Samantha is now awaiting test results to confirm whether or not her illness has led to her developing diabetes.

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Samantha, who is a manager for an outsourcing company, was signed off work for 11 weeks and has since returned on a part-time basis.

She has continued to struggle in her role since falling ill and may eventually lose her job if appropriate workplace adjustments are unable to be made.

She said: 'The whole experience has left me devastated and feeling very stressed about what I eat; I am now reluctant to go for meals out.

'I'm not usually one to be unwell, so when the symptoms started I knew something wasn't quite right. But not for one minute did I expect it to develop so rapidly.

'To then be told I had Shigella and may possibly develop diabetes came as a huge shock.

'I've now heard about so many other people that were sick, and when I think back the hygiene was very questionable.

'There were flies around the food and the cleaning of the resort left a lot to be desired, poo left smeared on the wall of the public toilet cubicle for a couple of days.

'I don't even remember seeing the pool being cleaned the whole time I was there.

'To think I may have to leave my job as a result is incredibly upsetting and, while there's nothing I can do to change what's happened, I feel I deserve some answers.'

A TUI spokesperson said the company was unable to comment as the incident concerned a legal matter.

Jaz Aquaviva Resort has been contacted for comment.