A young mother of four has “starved” for more than 18 months after going to Turkey for weight loss surgery.
She went to Turkey in February 2022 for weight loss surgery.
After the surgery, Shannon felt so sick she couldn’t eat or digest her medication.
Her teeth began to rot and her hair began to fall out.
She was diagnosed with malnutrition and suffered multiple organ failure.
The Creggan woman was waiting for a life-saving liver transplant but was too weak to be transferred to London.
Shannon was taken to intensive care and died at Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry.
At Shannon’s funeral this week, Father Daniel McFall said she was “a magnet for all sorts of people”.
Shannon Meenan Brows starved herself to death for more than 18 months after undergoing a sleeve gastrectomy.
He said: “She drew people in with her smile and infectious laugh.
“She loved people and was always willing to do whatever it took, whether it was at home or out. She had a listening ear and a caring heart and she was her life and soul.”
Her family and husband are urging people to understand the risks associated with weight-loss surgery.
Her parents, Shane and Kathleen, also tragically lost their son, Brian, in July.
Her grieving brother Koneis said there needed to be more awareness about the dangers of weight-loss surgery.
He said: “I understand why many people would consider it beneficial to go to Turkey to get the sleeve, and for the lucky few it is.”
“Unfortunately, my family suffered the opposite situation.”
Her brother warned her that undergoing weight-loss surgery was a “gamble.”
“We live in a society that teaches us that body image is important, that it determines our self-worth,” Koneis said.
“It’s 2023 now, and that’s not the case anymore.
The mother of four died at age 32.
“There’s a reason we come in all different shapes and sizes, and they’re all amazing. You are amazing in all shapes and forms.”
“If you’re in a position where you’re considering the surgery, you’re taking a gamble, and gamblers don’t always win.
“My sister sacrificed her life, but she won’t be the last.”
Shannon’s husband, Don, also said his wife’s death had been “heart-shattering” for the family.
He told Belfast Live: “She’s been starving for pretty much the whole time.”
Don continued, “All she was eating was the liquid from the Pot Noodles.”
“She had stomach aches and pains, she was vomiting so much that the stomach acid was rotting her teeth. She became very weak and started losing her hair.”
This article originally appeared in The Sun and is republished here with permission.
