When best friends Sophie and Daniel* flew to Turkey for cosmetic surgery, they thought they’d return home with the bodies of their dreams.
However, within 48 hours, one died and the other was left with permanent facial scars.
Her mother, Sophie Hunt, 34, collapsed and died within 48 hours of undergoing low-cost surgery in Turkey, while her best friend Daniel* required reconstructive surgery. Photo credit: CollectsSophie’s sister Amy, pictured with her mother Sandra, said: “She had been struggling with low confidence and we thought this operation would give her back that confidence.” Photo credit: Damien McFadden
Sophie Hunt, 34, and Daniel, 32, chose the Istanbul clinic for what they hoped would be a quick and easy procedure for their tummy tuck and liposuction.
Mum-of-two Sophie collapsed and died two days after the operation, while Danielle said that too little blood flow to the surgical site caused necrosis – a condition in which flesh dies – leaving her with a palm-sized wound on her abdomen that “smelled of death”.
Sophie’s 17-year-old son and five-year-old daughter are still struggling to come to terms with their mother’s death last year, and now Sophie’s family and Daniel are desperate to stop anyone else going through the same nightmare.
Daniel, from Northampton, said: “I still have dreams about being locked in hospital.”
“I should be grateful to be alive, but there are many times when I wish it was Sophie who was alive and not me.
“We now know that flying overseas for a cheap operation is just not worth it.”
Sophie’s sister, Amy, said: “The operation is risky.
“If you’re thinking about having surgery, remember you get what you pay for – save up and have the procedure done privately in the comfort of your own home in the UK.”
“I thought Sophie was safe and so did she, but she died alone abroad.”
Sophie, also from Northampton, is a keen foodie and worked as a nursery cook.
Amy, 37, said: “She was the kindest person. I would go to her when I was feeling miserable and come away forgetting what was bothering me.”
‘knock out’
“Her children were her absolute world and she would do anything for them.
“She loved to cook, she loved music and she was just a really crazy person in the best way.”
But Sophie was insecure about her body and struggled with self-confidence even after trying to lose weight through diet and exercise.
She first announced her plans to travel overseas for surgery in January 2022, promising her family that a full investigation would take place.
Despite her mother Sandra’s objections, Sophie booked the operation in March and flew to Turkey with Daniel.
Having read reviews on specialist Facebook groups, my friends were under the impression that if they had their surgery there they would receive better care than they would in the UK.
They ultimately decided on Istanbul-based GNR Aesthetics due to its positive social media reviews and a compelling Instagram profile showcasing successful procedures.
The glamorous website reassured patients that they were in safe hands with award-winning doctors with extensive surgical experience.
Amy said Sophie had heard the surgeon was of prestigious status and had seen his procedures featured on the clinic’s glamorous Instagram account, so she felt reassured.
Amy said: “Sophie kept saying how amazing it was going to look, and she was really looking forward to going for the procedure.”
Sophie prepares for surgery in Istanbul (Photo by Collects) Amy, pictured above with her sister Sophie, adds: “I was sure she knew what was coming.” Photo by Damien McFadden
“She had been struggling with self-confidence and thought this would help her get it back. She believed she knew what she was getting into.”
According to the website, “GNR Aesthetic Clinic is a clinic that specializes in all areas of cosmetic surgery.
“Our mission is to empower our patients through experience and flawless natural beauty.”
However, The Sun has since discovered that GNR is not a registered clinic in Turkey.
The company operates as a health tourism agency and, when contacted by The Sun, staff claimed that under Turkish law they were “only allowed to trade airport transfers and hotel accommodation”.
Daniel, who was “inseparable” from Sophie for 18 years after meeting her at work, said he and his best friend were unaware they were in a dangerous situation.
She said: “We were so excited. We kept saying it would be the start of a new life for us.”
“We had plans to go on holiday once I finally felt confident in my body.
“It never occurred to me that something might go wrong.”
GNR arranged the operations for both women as part of a package costing them £3,963 each.
Daniel claims he was given and made to sign a consent form in Turkish, meaning he had to rely on an interpreter to understand what he was agreeing to.
“The only thing that seemed a little odd was the paperwork,” Daniel recalled.
“The hospital itself seemed very clean. It felt like I was in England, except the language spoken was different.”
Sophie’s surgeon, who has not been named, claims to have won the award.
The Sun later discovered he only began practising as a doctor in 2018 and there was no record of any awards for the surgery.
When Sophie regained consciousness from surgery on March 8, she immediately knew something was wrong.
Danielle recalls: “Sophie told me after the operation she didn’t feel well at all.
“She was having trouble spitting food out and felt dizzy.
“Staff kept coming in to try and move us but by this point Sophie was on an oxygen machine and I got up first and headed for the door.
“When they stood her up she yelled ‘no’ and then collapsed.
“Within seconds the panic button was pressed and staff rushed into my room. I tried to see what was going on but was locked in another room and given painkillers. I lost consciousness.
“When I woke up I was told Sophie was OK but to call a next of kin as I didn’t know her number.”
After speaking with Daniel, Amy got the impression that her sister was stable in intensive care and flew to Turkey the next day.
In fact, Sophie’s Turkish death certificate states that she died at 9:25am Turkish time (7:24am UK time), three hours before Amy boarded the flight.
Rotten meat
She claims she was not informed of her sister’s death until that night in Turkey.
Amy said: “I had heard her condition was stable but I was unable to see her and I thought she would feel more comfortable knowing I was there.”
“When I returned in the afternoon I was told she had died and they asked me to identify the body. It was horrifying.”
Amy added tearfully: “I think I collapsed. I didn’t want to look but all I could do was look into her eyes.”
Meanwhile, Daniel, who was still recovering from surgery, was unaware of his friend’s death.
She only found out when she received a text message from Sophie’s son.
Daniel was horrified to discover that his scars were not healing properly and that they were giving off a foul smell.
But she said the nurses acted as if nothing was wrong.
Amy went to visit Daniel, who had been left in his room with dirty bandages discarded on the floor, smelling like rotting flesh.
“I asked the nurses and they said everything was normal,” Daniel said. “I didn’t think it was anything wrong at first because I expected to be in pain after surgery.
“But after what happened to Sophie I was terrified that I would die like my best friend.” Amy claims that British consulate staff told her to arrange emergency medical treatment for Daniel.
Daniel said: “I was taken to intensive care and told I had necrosis. They put me on a special suction machine to remove the necrosis.”
“They gave me five blood transfusions and I honestly think if I hadn’t had one more day of treatment I would have died.”
“I’m still struggling to comprehend everything I’ve been through.”
The infection left a hole in her stomach the size of a hand, too large to close without a skin graft.
“I was promised the body of my dreams and now I’m left with a patchwork quilt,” a tearful Danielle said.
Daniel now needs reconstructive surgery to repair the damage from the operation in Turkey, but says he is too scared to undergo surgery again.
She added: “I still can’t process what has happened to us. I’m having trouble sleeping at the moment.”
“I expected that I would end up the same as my best friend and sometimes I wish that I had.” Sophie’s family are still waiting for official confirmation of the cause of her death.
She was rushed to hospital with organ failure and went into cardiac arrest, according to doctors at the intensive care unit of a local hospital.
Her medical documents, seen by The Sun, show that an electrocardiogram before the operation showed her heart rate was 132 beats per minute, the same as someone engaging in vigorous exercise. The chart states this is a “probably abnormal electrocardiogram.”
Daniel claims he spoke to Sophie twice before her surgery to reassure her that everything was OK.
Amy said: “It’s been 15 months and we still don’t know what actually happened. If Sophie hadn’t been there with her friend, we don’t even know if we would have been informed that she had died.”
“Myself and her children miss her every day. She was meant to be here and instead we’re trying to pick up the pieces.”
A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We are supporting the family of the British man killed in Turkey and are in contact with local authorities.”
The Sun contacted the plastic surgery clinic and the local hospital for comment but did not receive a response.
When asked by The Sun about Sophie’s arrest, a representative for GNR denied any knowledge of her case.
The message sent to Amy and Daniel was sent from the same phone number listed on GNR’s website, where we contacted them for comment.
*Danielle’s name has been changed. Despite the tongue-in-cheek quote on the clinic’s website, The Sun has discovered that GNR is not a registered medical clinic in Turkey. Pictured: Sophie, aged six, pictured on GNRS, struggled to find confidence in her own body. Photo: Damien McFadden
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