Victoria Finnigan and her daughter Freya. (Victoria Finnigan via SWNS)
By Ed Chatterton
A mom has told how a dream holiday to Egypt turned into "one of the worst experiences of her life" after her two-year-old daughter was struck down with deadly E. coli.
Victoria Finnigan, 25, is seeking legal action after her daughter Freya Finnigan-Haynes needed emergency surgery following a luxury break in Hurghada.
The toddler was diagnosed with the serious bacterial infection which also led to both her kidneys failing after falling seriously ill during the $2,000 holiday last November.
Victoria and her partner Thomas Sloan, 24, had gone away with Freya for some "winter sun" when all three came down with gastric symptoms at the five-star Desert Rose Resort.
Following their return home to the UK, Thomas recovered within a few weeks but Victoria and Freya were diagnosed with E.coli.
Over the next two days, Freya’s condition deteriorated, with her hands, feet and lips turning blue and she was taken to hospital by ambulance.
(Victoria Finnigan via SWNS)
Both of Freya’s kidneys failed, and she was transferred to another hospital for surgery to insert dialysis tubes.
She was put on dialysis for three weeks and underwent four blood transfusions, remaining in the hospital over Christmas.
She now has to take folic acid daily and will have to undergo check-ups every year until she’s 18.
Victoria, a home carer, and Thomas, a car body repairer, have now instructed lawyers to investigate their illnesses.
Victoria, of Twickenham, London, said: “We’d been looking forward to our holiday for a long time and couldn’t wait to get out there and enjoy some winter sun.
“Instead, it turned into one of the worst experiences of our lives. It was awful when Thomas and I fell ill, but I hoped that Freya had escaped it.
"Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.
“To see my darling girl so unwell was incredibly traumatic, and to be told that she was suffering kidney failure devastated me.
Freya in the hospital after contracting E. coli. (Victoria Finnigan via SWNS)
"All I wanted to do was make her better. Sadly, she’ll have to have regular check-ups for a long time.
"We know we can’t change what happened but the least we deserve are some answers, especially for Freya.”
Victoria and Thomas began suffering from sickness and diarrhea just a few days into their holiday between November 29 and December 9 last year.
Freya fell ill with similar symptoms on the plane home a week later.
While Victoria and Thomas recovered within a few weeks of returning home, due to the impact of kidney failure, Freya was hospitalized until New Year’s Eve.
Jatinder Paul, an international serious injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing the family, said: “The first-hand accounts we’ve heard from Victoria and Thomas are deeply concerning.
“The impact of gastric illness should never be downplayed. That Freya went on to develop kidney failure and had to undergo dialysis as a result, demonstrates the severity of what can happen.
“Understandably, Victoria and Thomas have a number of concerns over how their holiday was ruined by illness.
"We’re now investigating those concerns and are determined to provide the family with the answers they deserve.”
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