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'I wanted to fix how I felt': Woman, 20, 'nearly died' after flying to Turkey for secret surgery
Isabella Crawford spent the flight home in and out of the toilet as blood poured out of her open wounds, fearing she wouldn't make it home alive, ITV News Correspondent Geraint Vincent reports
This report contains images and details which some readers may find distressing.
Bombarded with cosmetic surgery ads across her social media and a promise of being more confident, Isabella Crawford "just wanted to feel better" about herself when she made the decision to undergo procedures.
The 20-year-old flew to Turkey in February after a surgeon recommended she have a "mummy makeover" - which included a tummy tuck, a breast uplift, liposuction and a Brazilian butt lift.
Low on confidence, she thought the operations could help her "fix" how she felt.
"It wasn't about an image I was trying to achieve, I just felt so bad inside," she told ITV News.
"I thought going somewhere like that would make me happy, because on social media that's what they tell you."
If you want to share your experience of cosmetic surgery or procedures with ITV News, you can contact our investigations team at investigations@itv.com
After combing through surgeons recommended by influencers she followed, she found one she thought she could trust.
She said: "I was just really naïve and trusted him. What he recommended I get was a mummy makeover even though I have no kids and I'm only 20 years old."
But instead of coming home from Turkey feeling better about her appearance, Ms Crawford has been left disfigured by the botched surgery and regrets ever taking the trip.
She described the hospital as a "torture chamber" and said when she explained why she was getting the treatment there was no regard for her mental well-being.
“He [the surgeon] just brushed it off,” she said.
“He told me I was going to look amazing. He said 'just relax, trust us.'”
Ms Crawford was put to sleep by a nurse at 9am and said she was returned to her room at 6pm that night.
When she regained consciousness she remembered "feeling completely paralysed".
“I don’t know where I went, who touched us, or what happened,” she recalled.
She woke up with surgical wounds and various bags attached to her, which were quickly filling up with blood.
Left black and blue, she said she "felt like an experiment to see how far the body can be pushed."
Ms Crawford was not the only woman there. She said several other girls were in the hospital covered in bandages, who all "looked so sad".“I felt like we were all there for the same reasons and we were willing to put ourselves through so much pain just to feel okay."Ms Crawford was discharged to a hotel and within a few days the clinic gave her a fit-to-fly certificate.
She spent the flight in and out of the toilet as blood poured out of her open wounds, fearing she wouldn't make it home alive.
When she arrived at her home in Newcastle, her mother, who thought she had been away on a girls' weekend, was horrified by what had happened to her.
She was rushed to hospital where she underwent treatment for a flesh-eating bacterial bug and severe open wounds.
Speaking about why she made the decision to have the surgery, Ms Crawford said posts on social media had "planted a seed" in her head.
"I've been exposed to seeing people go to Turkey for surgery since probably the age of 15," she said.
When she turned 18, Ms Crawford started to save money because she was struggling with her self-image.
"I just wanted to feel better about myself and everyone seemed to be going over to get the same surgeries and I thought that was how I would become, happy with my image just following everyone else."
In the wake of a series of stories similar to Ms Crawford's, ITV News put our findings to a representative of plastic surgeons in Turkey who admitted that the country needs more health regulations.
But Dr Bulent Sacak added that the "overall quality of plastic surgeons in Turkey is very high" and warned patients to "pick the right doctors".
As the cosmetic tourism industry grows, the issue has become cross-border and requires a diplomatic response.
Former UK Ambassador to Turkey, Sir Dominick Chilcott, told ITV News: "We had a number of conversations with Turkish authorities about this and they were absolutely clear themselves that they were not in the business of supporting anyone that was trying to bring people in for these operations and not behaving in a wholly processional and competent manner."
If you are struggling with your mental health, help is available.
Samaritans operates a 24-hour service available every day of the year, by calling 116 123. If you prefer to write down how you’re feeling, or if you’re worried about being overheard on the phone, you can email Samaritans at jo@samaritans.org
Call the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) on 0800 58 58 58
See more links to advice and support here.
For advice on surgery abroad:
Foreign Travel Advice - Gov UK
British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons
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