A young British holidaymaker was left battling sepsis after a family trip to a four-star resort in Egypt.
Lawrence Pahollaria, 12, also contracted Salmonella Heidelberg following his stay at the Sindbad Aqua Park Hotel in Hurghada, booked through tour operator easyJet. The family experienced gastric symptoms during their holiday, but upon returning home to North London, Lawrence’s condition worsened with vomiting and diarrhoea.
The boy’s health deteriorated to such an extent that he was rushed to A&E after a GP consultation, where he was diagnosed with both sepsis and salmonella. Lawrence received intravenous antibiotics and fluids, spending five days in and out of hospital, including one overnight stay.
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His mother, Trudi Law, 54, expressed her terror upon learning of Lawrence’s sepsis diagnosis post-holiday. She said: “It was clear pretty quickly that Lawrence was far more than just a tummy bug.
(Image: Irwin Mitchell / SWNS)
“It was so frightening, but we realised we had to get him to a hospital. We knew Lawrence was poorly but we were absolutely terrified when we were told he had sepsis. I was frantic and was struggling not to assume the very worst.
“We’re all just grateful we came out of this in one piece and given what happened to Lawrence, we know we’re lucky and it could have been worse.”
The family, including father Fatmir and sister Florianna, 13, arrived at the resort for a two-week holiday on July 20 last year. However, on the fourth day of their stay, both Florianna and Trudi began to feel unwell, experiencing vomiting, stomach pains, and diarrhoea.
Trudi sought medical help and was given antibiotics for herself, as well as anti-diarrhoea medication and rehydration salts for her and Florianna. Fatmir, who works as an electrician, also started showing symptoms of gastric illness.
Trudi revealed that upon their arrival at the hotel, they had to switch rooms because their “original one was unclean.” The administrator now regrets not “insisting on moving to another hotel.”
She has now instructed lawyers at law firm Irwin Mitchell to investigate the family’s illness.
An easyJet spokesperson said: “The health and safety of all customers is our priority, which is why we ensure all of the hotels we offer meet our high health and safety standards. As this case is now a legal matter, we’re unable to comment further.”
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