Woman, 28, left fighting for life after 4* all-inclusive EasyJet holiday where 'staff didn't wash their hands'

A WOMAN claims she was left fighting for her life after an all-inclusive holiday because staff “didn’t wash their hands”.

Olivia Hartley says she nearly died after returning from a £1,400 EasyJet holiday in Hurghada, Egypt, last September.

Olivia Hartley, 28, with fiance Thomas Winn, 31, during their trip to EgyptCredit: Kennedy News

Olivia says she almost died after returning home from a £1,400 EasyJet holidayCredit: Kennedy News

She had been with Thomas at a four-star resort for a week when the couple began to feel unwellCredit: Kennedy News

The 28-year-old, who lives in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire, had been on holiday with her fiance Thomas Winn, 31, at the four-star resort for a week when the couple began to feel unwell.

On the plane home, Olivia claims her partner Thomas threw up “six times” and she began experiencing nausea and diarrhea 48 hours after returning home.

Unable to keep down any food or water for three days, Olivia was hospitalized for dehydration, and doctors told her that her liver and kidneys were abnormal.

Doctors told Olivia that it was “very likely” that she was infected with hepatitis A – a liver infection that is spread through the faeces of an infected person.

Olivia is certain she contracted the deadly virus from the hotel – which she has chosen not to name – claiming the resort’s food hygiene is “terrible”.

Doctors were so concerned that they warned Olivia that she might have to undergo a liver transplant if her condition did not improve.

Fortunately, Olivia has recovered – but she is still suffering from the effects of liver and kidney damage and worries she will still need a transplant in the future.

EasyJet has apologized for the customer experience and said it is proactively reaching out to the customer to try and resolve the issue.

Olivia, a psychologist’s assistant, said: “The food hygiene in the hotel was appalling.

“The birds were everywhere, the food was sitting for a long, long time, they just poured new food on top of the old food that had been out for hours.

The contaminated blood scandal

“On the last day, my fiance and I both had a weird tummy bug. On the plane home, my partner threw up about six times.

“I was fine at this point [48 hours after coming home] I started with vomiting and diarrhea.

“Then I got to the point where I couldn’t keep any fluid down.

“I was just throwing up everything. I had terrible stomach pains.”

After three days of non-stop vomiting, Olivia went to the emergency room at the Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby where tests showed her liver function was “disrupted” and required immediate treatment.

I felt very vulnerable. I was afraid I was going to die.

Olivia Hartley

Olivia said: “The doctors told me my liver was in really bad shape and I had kidney damage from dehydration.

“They were very concerned about the liver results and concerned about the high rate of hepatitis in Egypt.

“In addition to all that, they said that you most likely have hepatitis. They were 99.9 percent sure I got it from the hotel.

“They were very sure it was hepatitis and told me if my liver didn’t start to improve you would need an urgent liver transplant in Leeds, which was terrifying.

“I was thinking the worst in my head. It was a very scary time. No one could fully agree on a treatment plan. I felt very vulnerable.

What causes hepatitis?

HEPATITIS causes inflammation of the liver after a viral infection.

It can become very serious, so it’s good to know the signs and symptoms.

What is hepatitis?

Hepatitis is an umbrella term that describes inflammation of the liver.

This can be the result of excessive drinking or a viral infection.

There are several different types of illness caused by different viruses and treated in different ways.

What are the symptoms of hepatitis?

Short-term hepatitis often has no symptoms, so it can be difficult to know that you have the condition.

But – according to the NHS – if symptoms develop, they can include:

muscle pain fever fatigue feeling sick loss of appetite itchy skin dark urine or pale gray poop.

Long-term hepatitis can also develop without any symptoms, until the liver has completely failed, so it is sometimes detected only by blood tests.

“I was scared I was going to die. I asked if I could go home and they said no, if your organ fails you won’t make it to Leeds, it was very serious.”

After three days in hospital, Olivia was discharged, but claims liver and kidney damage left her with joint pain and fatigue – with concerns she may still need a transplant in the future.

Olivia said: “This was supposed to be the holiday we really needed and it turned into an absolute nightmare.

“That put me off the package deal. This was our first holiday since Covid – we really needed this holiday.

“This has turned into one hell of a holiday for us. I have been referred to a liver specialist and there will be regular liver tests to check how it is doing.

“I’ve heard from other people that after a liver injury, it can get worse again out of nowhere.

“So I might end up needing a liver transplant if things go downhill again.”

We are really sorry to hear about this customer’s experience.

EasyJet

Olivia complained to EasyJet in October about her hospitalisation, but the package deal company did not get back to her.

Olivia said: “This is my first time using this company and it has completely destroyed any trust I had with them.

“There was no protection or humanity. I felt really angry and like I didn’t matter.

“I almost didn’t live to tell the tale.”

An EasyJet holiday spokesperson said: “We are truly sorry to hear about this customer’s experience and are proactively reaching out to address their complaints now that they have been brought to our attention.

“Our priority is to support our customers throughout their experience, from the booking process to returning home, and we want nothing more than to provide brilliant holidays.”