A mum has sounded the alarm after her ‘dream’ family trip to Turkey descended into a nightmare.
Ashley Bain, a mother-of-two, had been eagerly anticipating a getaway with her husband, their two children, and her in-laws, a yearly tradition for the family.
However, this year’s vacation was marred by disaster, she claimed. “The holiday from hell. Let’s get [into] it,” she said in a TikTok video.
“Food poisoning nearly killed my son on holiday.”
The family’s first day passed without incident, enjoying time at the pool and exploring the hotel. “The kids had a great day,” Ashley said.
After enjoying a buffet breakfast the next morning, Ashley and her husband Jamie ventured out for a date, leaving the hotel for a few hours. Upon their return, however, disaster struck when Jamie’s parents succumbed to food poisoning, followed shortly by the rest of the family.
“I can’t even explain to you how poorly my children were,” shared a distressed Ashley. Her son River’s condition deteriorated rapidly as he became lethargic and unable even to stomach water.
With no option left, they rushed him to the hotel’s nurse, who immediately called for a doctor. After examining the child, the doctor said he needed immediate treatment. Ashley said her son was put on an IV drip because he had become so dehydrated and developed an infection as a result of the illness.
She added it was particularly hard to watch her son, who has autism and doesn’t enjoy interacting with people, having to be handled by medical staff. At one point, Ashley claimed she was taken aside by a doctor.
“He said words no parent wants to hear,” she admitted. “He said that, ‘Your son is seriously, seriously ill.”
She was told River would have to avoid the sun for at least three days, and that the infection could travel to his blood and cause potentially fatal sepsis.
While River was treated, Jamie and Ashley’s daughter, Mila, also became unwell. She said her daughter was “half an hour short” of being in the same position as her son, but was treated in hospital and her illness did not become as severe.
Fortunately, River eventually began to recover and was able to stop taking medication two days before the family returned home. Ashley said they were able to have one full day in Turkey and one nights’ sleep before heading home.
Speaking exclusively to BirminghamLive, she said: “We lost our full entire holiday. Which was a lot of money. But you can’t put a price on my children.”
“I was nearly bringing [River] home in a body bag. My daughter wasn’t far off being in the same boat. I’m heartbroken and everything, as are my full family.”
The mum is now seeking compensation from Jet2, the organisers of her trip, claiming she “never got a holiday.”
On TikTok, she described the experience as “a nightmare” and spoke of the deep impact it had on her family: “It was a nightmare experience,” she detailed. “I cannot explain the trauma, how traumatic it was for everybody.”
She also highlighted the importance of family time. “We work so hard to give our kids a holiday at least once a year to spend time together,” she said. “The kids never get to see their dad because of the industry he’s in, and that time means so much to us. Time is precious and it was ripped away from us.”
In response, a Jet2 spokesperson said: “We are sorry to hear that Ms Bain’s family have been unwell. We can confirm that we were in contact with Ms Bain during her holiday, however no evidence has been provided to support the claim that any illness was caused by consuming food at the hotel.
“We have not received any correspondence from Ms Bain since she returned from holiday, and we would be happy to investigate further should she contact us with evidence.”
