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Girl, 2, left fighting for life in coma after getting food poisoning on holiday at all-inclusive resort in Egypt
Her parents said they felt 'completely helpless' watching Chloe suffer
A TODDLER has been left fighting for her life after getting food poisoning on an all-inclusive holiday in Egypt.
Two-year-old Chloe Crook suffered a blood clot and was placed in a coma after becoming violently ill on a family trip abroad.
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Chloe and her parents jetted off to the five-star Jaz Aquaviva resort back in July but within just two days she started to suffer some painful gastric issues.
She was rushed to hospital in an ambulance with her mum, Megan, revealing Chloe temporarily lost her vision and ability to speak on the journey.
Shortly after some bruising appeared under the skin on her head.
Megan said: "It was so distressing for Alex (Chloe's dad) and me to see her like that and know that we couldn't do anything.
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"We felt completely helpless."
Worrying tests then revealed Chloe's kidneys had started to fail on her as she was rushed into an emergency dialysis in a semi-sedated state.
Doctors found Chloe had been suffering from Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome (HUS) - a potentially fatal blood condition linked to E. coli.
Chloe, from Kent, was flown back to the UK and placed into a four day coma as her symptoms continued to worsen.
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She went on to develop pneumonia and blood clots in her neck and arm while unresponsive.
Megan, 34, said Chloe has now been released from hospital but still needs constant assistance.
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She has also woken up on several occasions suffering "nightmares" due to her terrifying experience.
Megan said: "Since coming home, Chloe is a totally different girl.
"She used to be very social and loved going to nursery, but now she shies away from interacting with people outside her immediate circle.
"She's also started having nightmares about being in hospital; waking up screaming and shouting "no," repeatedly and it's horrible to see how affected she is.
"Chloe has been left traumatised by what she has been through, and it has been incredibly difficult to try and come to terms with what's happened."
Almost four months on, Chloe is still on anti-seizure medication, blood thinners, and a number of other heavy medications.
Megan says she has been vomiting regularly since returning home and has had a lack of appetite for months.
She is now being made to go for annual check-ups on her kidney function.
What is Haemolytic uraemic syndrome?
HAEMOLYTIC uraemic syndrome, known as HUS, is a condition that occurs when small blood vessels become damaged and inflamed.
This leads to clots being formed within the vessels and throughout the body.
The damage can quickly spread to major organs such as the kidneys - resulting in organ failure.
It is most common in young children, mainly toddlers and often comes with a bout of E. coli.
Haemolytic uraemic syndrome is always considered serious but if caught and dealt with fast can be treatable.
Symptoms include:
- Diarrhoea
- Pain, cramping or bloating in the stomach
- Fever
- Extreme tiredness
- Easy bruising
- Vomiting
- Loss of colour in the skin
- Unusual bleeding
Lawyers at legal firm Irwin Mitchell have now started to investigate the young girl's sudden illness after being approached by Chloe's parents.
Jennifer Hodgson, a lawyer from the company, said: "The family's holiday turned into nothing short of a nightmare after Chloe fell ill.
"They understandably have many questions and concerns over how she went on to develop E. coli, and the subsequent complications as a result of developing HUS.
"E. coli is extremely serious and can result in long-term health problems, which is potentially the case with Chloe.
"If, during the course of our investigations, any issues are identified, action needs to be taken to reduce the risk of other holidaymakers falling ill in the future."
It comes as mum-of-one Ruby Crossley faced a similar gut wrenching experience with her daughter in Egypt.
Young Paisley ate at a restaurant on the third day of their holiday and nearly died after consuming the food.
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Paisley woke up "bright yellow" and vomiting before being told she had E.coli.
Ruby told Sun Health: "It was the worst experience of my life and it scared me to go on holiday abroad."
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