A Scottish mother has urged families to exercise caution after what was meant to be a dream holiday to Turkey turned into a nightmare, leaving her son seriously ill. Ashley Bain, from Scotland, told how her family, including husband Jamie, two children, and in-laws, fell victim to suspected food poisoning just days into their trip. The family, who had booked with Jet2, ended up spending most of their holiday confined to their hotel room.
Ashley detailed the ordeal on TikTok, explaining that the second day of their stay at an unnamed hotel saw the entire group struck down with illness after eating a buffet breakfast. She described how her eight-year-old son River became so dehydrated and unresponsive that he required an IV drip. “I can’t even explain how poorly my children were,” she said. “River became lethargic and unresponsive, and we had no choice but to see the on-site nurse, who called a doctor.”
The doctor warned Ashley that River’s condition was serious and that the infection could lead to sepsis if it reached his bloodstream. “He said words no parent wants to hear: that your son is seriously, seriously ill,” she recalled. Meanwhile, her daughter Mila also fell ill but was treated in hospital before her condition worsened. Ashley said River only recovered enough to stop medication two days before they returned home, leaving them with just one full day of their holiday remaining.
Speaking exclusively to BirminghamLive, Ashley said: “We lost our full holiday, which was a lot of money. But you can't put a price on my children. I was nearly bringing him home in a body bag.” She recounted the trauma of seeing her family suffer and the precious time with her husband—who works in an industry that keeps him away from the family—being wasted. The mother is now seeking compensation from Jet2, claiming she “never got a holiday.”
Jet2 responded, saying they were sorry to hear the family had been unwell and that they had been in contact with Ashley during the holiday. However, a spokesperson noted: “No evidence has been provided to support the claim that any illness was caused by consuming food at the hotel. We have not received any correspondence from Ms Bain since she returned, and we would be happy to investigate further should she contact us with evidence.”
