A YOUNG mum-of-four "starved to death" over 18 months after getting gastric sleeve surgery in Turkey last year.
Shannon Meenan-Browse, from Derry, passed away at the age of 32 on August 25.
She went to Turkey for the weight loss procedure in February 2022.
After her surgery, Shannon couldn't eat without getting sick and couldn’t digest medication.
Her teeth began rotting and she started to lose her hair.
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She was diagnosed with malnutrition which led to multiple organ failure.
The Creggan woman was waiting to get a life-saving liver transplant but was too weak to be transferred to London.
Shannon ended up in intensive care and died in Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry.
Speaking at Shannon’s funeral this week, Father Daniel McFaul told how Shannon was a “magnet in any company”.
He said: “She drew people to her with her smile and her crackling laugh that was infectious.
“She loved people, always up for anything, be it home or away. She was the life and soul, having a listening ear and a caring heart.”
Her family and husband are appealing to people to understand the risks involved of weight loss surgery.
Her parents Shane and Kathleen also tragically lost their son Brian in July.
Her devastated brother Connaith said more awareness on the dangers of weight loss surgery is needed.
He said: “I understand why a lot of people think going to Turkey to get that sleeve is going to be a beneficial thing and for some of the lucky ones, it is.
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“Unfortunately my family suffered the circumstances of when it goes the other way.”
The brother warned that getting weight loss surgery is a "gamble".
Connaith said: “We live in a society that teaches people body image is important or something you should assign your self-worth to.
“It’s 2023 and that’s not the case anymore.
“We come in different shapes and sizes for a reason and they are all great. You are amazing in every shape and form.
“If you are in a position where you are considering that surgery, you are taking a gamble and a gambler doesn’t always win.
“My sister paid with her life and she won’t be the last.”
Shannon's husband Don also told how his wife's death has been "soul destroying" for the family.
He told Belfast Live: "She more or less starved the whole way through."
Don continued: "The water from a pot noodle was all she was eating.
"She had cramps and pain, and she was throwing up so much her teeth were rotting from the acid in her stomach.
"She was completely run down and started losing all her hair."
