Woman whose mum died after falling ill on a five-star TUI holiday doesn't think she'll ever find out her cause of death.
Jane Pressley visited a resort in Cape Verde with her husband Michael to celebrate her 62nd birthday in November last year.
However, the mum-of-two fell ill just two days into the holiday. And now the five-star Riu Palace Hotel has 350 previous guests taking legal action against TUI.
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There were reports towards the end of 2022 of Brits having cases of sickness at the hotel, with many holidaymakers claiming they’d been served what looked like raw chicken as well as flies covering their food, plus reporting a strong sulphur smell.
While Michael recovered from his sickness after a week, Jane's got even worse after returning home on 12 December. The care assistant had had a pre-existing condition of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and was taken to hospital on Christmas Eve.
Tragically, she passed away on 5 January, with the cause of death confirmed to be ‘infective exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease’.
Michael has since launched a case against TUI in connection with both their illness and his wife’s death.
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But now, Jane’s eldest daughter, Lucy Ambrose, has told the Mirror that the family don't agree with the cause on the mum’s death certificate and doesn't think they'll find out the reason.
Lucy told the outlet: “My mum should still be here today; we did our research after she died and found other people had been ill too. I want something to be done so that this doesn't happen to anyone else.
“She didn't have an inquest and the death certificate said COPD, but she's been cremated now so we don't think we will ever know.
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"My mum really was, I know it's cliche, but she really was the best mum that you could ask for, she was funny, full of life, my friends were like her daughters too. I'm lost without her, we would speak every day without fail.
“I still text her but I don't get a reply and my son does the same.
“I don't think we will ever find the reason for her death because she's been cremated, but I want to help someone not go and their family not go through what we are still going through.
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“This was a five star hotel, you wouldn't expect this to happen. I'm not going to give up and let this be brushed away, my mum deserves to be here and would be pushing me to find out the answers."
Representing Jane’s family, international injury lawyer Jatinder Paul told Mail Online: “The first-hand account we've heard from Michael regarding the illness he and Jane suffered during their holiday is deeply concerning.
“We're representing more than 350 others who fell seriously ill at this hotel in 2022. Therefore this latest development is of significant concern. The impact of such illnesses should never be downplayed as they can lead to long-term health issues and in some cases can prove fatal.”
Also speaking to Mail Online, Michael said: “It's been less than six months since we lost Jane and it's a struggle every day to understand what happened. To lose her so suddenly has absolutely devastated us all.”
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A spokesperson from TUI had previously told Tyla: "Our thoughts and sympathies remain with the Pressley family. As this is now a legal matter, it would not be appropriate for us to comment further."
Tyla reached out to Riu Palace Hotel for comment.
Jess Battison