24 January 2024 , 11:20
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'It's one of them where you never think it'll happen to you until it does' - these are the sorrowful words of Collette Pickering, who in the past week was left fearing for her sister-in-law's life following a botched boob job in Turkey.
As a 36EE, 22-year-old Chloe Rose, from Halifax, West Yorkshire, had felt insecure about her large chest for some time and was experiencing immense back pain. Since the age of 18, she had wanted to go under the knife for an uplift in a bid to help relieve the agony, but put it off until she had enough money.
She researched the procedure - which usually costs from £8,000 in the UK - online, and over a 12-month period, communicated with a 'well-established' clinic in Turkey. She booked the operation for January 16 and flew over to the Middle East with a friend, Rachel Mucha.
Chloe had been insecure about her large breasts since she was a teen (Collette Pickering)However, when she came round after the operation, Chloe was left screaming in pain after it 'went terribly wrong' - with graphic images showing how her nipples had turned into oozing, open sores. Collette claims surgeons removed too much skin, resulting in her circulation being cut off and her nipple dying.
The young woman developed necrosis - the death of body tissue - but says the clinic has claimed that the procedure went 'perfectly.' Chloe, who is described by Collette as a "one in a million with a heart of gold", told the Mirror: "I was concerned about the surgery, but what sister wouldn't be?
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"I get nervous every time she goes on a night out or doesn't get back to me in an hour. But I trusted her judgement and it's her life and body, it's not up to me what she does with either. I had heard rumours of turkey. But I had also heard so many success stories, it's one of them where you never think it'll happen to you until it does."
When Collette, a mum-of-one checked in on Chloe, she responded to her message saying "really bad". She then video-called her crying her eyes out. "My heart broke watching her be in so much pain," the 27-year-old said.
The young woman was left screaming in pain after the operation (Collette Pickering)"She said she hadn't told anyone but her mum because she wanted to trust what she was being told by the surgeon, she wanted to believe it was fine. She was in a state of confusion at that point. She was also scared of the 'I told you so'. That night I listened to her sob, scream, and beg and she kept telling me she didn't want to die."
Collette says Chloe claims there were no English-speaking staff at the hospital, despite being told an interpreter was included in her package. Amid a language barrier, Chloe and Rachel had to rely on Google Translate, which proved difficult.
She claims cannulas were poorly inserted and needles were left lying around the room. The blood drained from her was allegedly sometimes left in the toilet bowl, and her stitches were apparently reopened without her understanding why, and without pain relief.
The duo say her wounds were only restitched halfway, with Chloe left with open wounds. They claim that it was only after speaking to the British Embassy that Chloe was given antibiotics to treat infection, however her health didn't improve.
"Chloe knew the complications, she knew what she was getting herself into regarding the surgery," Collette said. "What she didn't expect was the poor treatment and neglect from the staff who were supposed to help her recover. I can't describe the pain she was in, only that I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy."
Her nipple was left as an oozing, open sore (Collette Pickering)Collette claims the company demanded more money for her to stay in the hospital to recover, which saw her and Rachel turn to GoFundMe to set up a fundraiser to bring her home. Thanks to the kindness and generosity of strangers, they raised more than £8,000 for a medically assisted flight home for the pair on Sunday.
But the journey back was just as terrifying, as Chloe's blood pressure and heart rate went extremely high. As soon as she landed in the UK, she was blue-lighted to the closest hospital.
"Having such a huge positive response has warmed my heart beyond words," Collette continued. "We are all so overwhelmed with not just the donations, but the kind words and the effort people made to make it possible to bring her home. There's been backlash, but the love and support we've been given outshines anything negative."
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Upon discharge, Collette claims Chloe was supplied Turkish medication but without instructions on what they were and when to take them. The family's hope is for Chloe to get better and back to normality as she currently receives treatment for necrosis. There are no regrets, but a warning for others.
She has now warned others to reconsider cosmetic operations abroad (Collette Pickering)"She feels weird about the whole situation. She doesn't regret the choice she made to make herself feel better," Collette explained. "But she didn't choose to have the awful experience she has had, things went wrong that were completely out of her control.
The family do not wish to name the hospital until she is better, but they hope people rethink their trips and think twice when coming across surgery companies on social media. "Chloe wants people to rethink their trips if they've booked to get surgery, to not trust the Instagram companies that make it seem so amazing," she warned.
"She did all the right research but she was treated so poorly. She doesn't want another person to have to go through what she has. None of us do. We have urged people who have reached out to us, to cancel their bookings and definitely don't choose surgery abroad."
Have you or anyone you know had a cosmetic procedure abroad? Please get in touch to share your experiences at [email protected]