He was hospitalized and discharged on multiple occasions.
A young boy named Jaxon Bentley, aged eight, nearly lost his life after contracting salmonella from eggs consumed during his stay at a luxurious resort in Turkey. His mother, Natalie Parr, revealed that her son’s health deteriorated significantly, leading to kidney failure caused by the bacterial infection.
During their week-long vacation in June last year, the family’s holiday took a drastic turn when Jaxon experienced intense stomach cramps, diarrhea, and a high fever on the third day of their trip. Following this, he was promptly taken to a hospital in Turkey before being transferred back to the UK for further medical attention.
Subsequent investigations confirmed that Jaxon had been affected by two strains of salmonella, one of which posed a severe threat, potentially resulting in neurological complications. As a result of his condition, the young boy had to undergo several hospitalizations within a few weeks. His mother expressed how this series of traumatic events had a lasting impact on Jaxon, hindering his full recovery even six months later.
“Jaxon is now back home, but our lives are far from normal. He continues to struggle with eating, experiencing persistent pain. The vibrant and outgoing boy who embarked on a holiday to Turkey returned as a mere shadow of his former self, a heartbreaking transformation. My son’s lively demeanor has been replaced by a quiet, subdued nature, haunted by the ordeal, plagued by night terrors that rob him of both sleep and appetite. The mere thought of another family enduring a similar plight is unbearable, prompting us to share our story,” lamented his mother.
She further stated, “If our experience can help prevent others from enduring the agony we are facing, it would offer some solace. All we desire is to have our cheerful boy back with us, free from the wheelchair he now relies on due to his frailty, as antibiotics have proven ineffective.”
Numerous medical interventions, including a lumbar puncture and two brain scans conducted under general anesthesia, were necessary. Despite being discharged again, Jaxon struggled to regain strength and weight, remaining in a fragile state. Ongoing blood tests are being conducted to monitor his health status closely.
Reflecting on their ill-fated holiday, the 36-year-old mother shared, “Our much-anticipated vacation turned into a nightmare due to Jaxon’s illness, a memory that will forever haunt us. His rapid and severe deterioration made it evident that his condition was more than a mere stomach upset. Witnessing his suffering in the hospital, watching him grow weaker by the day, was a harrowing experience.”
She added, “We were determined to get him back to a hospital in our home country, a journey that turned into a distressing ordeal. Jaxon’s visible distress and agony during the flight left fellow passengers in tears, shocked by the severity of his condition. It was disheartening to witness the extent of his suffering from a gastrointestinal illness, feeling utterly helpless as a parent. I would have traded places with him in a heartbeat if I could.”