Died in Turkey at the age of 28: mother loses her heart!

Died in Turkey at the age of 28: mother loses her heart!

Beth Martin, a 28-year-old mother from Portsmouth, tragically died a day after being admitted to a Turkish hospital. She traveled to Turkey on April 27 with her husband Luke and their two young children, ages 8 and 5. After her arrival, her health deteriorated rapidly, resulting in her immediate hospitalization for mental confusion. However, she died just 24 hours later.

During his hospital stay, Luke Martin was given little information about his wife's health and was not allowed to visit her. The family's shock deepened when Turkish authorities suspected Luke of poisoning his wife. However, a subsequent police investigation was later discontinued.

The shocking discovery after returning

After returning to Britain, a post-mortem revealed that Beth Martin's heart was missing: it had been removed during her stay in Turkey without the family's knowledge or consent. Turkish law allows the removal of organs without relatives' consent if this is necessary to determine the cause of death. In exceptional cases, these organs can also be retained permanently. However, in order to obtain the autopsy report, the family must apply for it in a Turkish court.

The legal questions surrounding organ removal are complex. It remains unclear whether the organ removal in Beth Martin's case was legal. Her family is now demanding comprehensive clarification. Another worrying detail is that Beth was reportedly allergic to penicillin, but was said to have been given the drug in the hospital. The connection between the medication and her death is currently being investigated. The hospital is also suspected of negligence.

Fundraiser to support the family

In the midst of this tragedy, Luke Martin must carry his wife's body through the hospital himself. He stayed in Turkey two days longer than planned to organize the repatriation of his deceased partner. In solidarity with the family, a fundraising campaign was launched which had raised over 220,000 pounds (over 262,000 euros) by May 23rd.

The situation surrounding autopsies is not without problems in Germany either. As the Ärzteblatt reports, the regulation of autopsies is uncertain and inconsistent. Particularly in the case of deaths outside of hospitals, there are often discrepancies between the causes of death in the certificates and the causes confirmed by autopsy. In addition, there is no general administrative section in Germany for medically unclear deaths, which underlines situations like Beth Martin's.

The inconsistent national regulations on autopsies and organ removals raise important questions about the protection of the fundamental rights of the deceased and the surviving dependents. This is also underlined by the findings in the new federal states, where old regulations from the GDR are still partly in use. The questions surrounding autopsy practice are closely related to the protection and rights of patients and their families}

Beth Martin's case calls for a comprehensive legal regulation of autopsies that respects the wishes of both the deceased and their relatives. It remains to be seen what measures will be taken to avoid such tragic incidents in the future.

For more details on this tragic incident and the associated legal aspects, you can consult the articles from web.de and Medical Journal be consulted.