A two-year-old girl has died after her appendicitis was misdiagnosed as tonsillitis, her family has claimed.
Isla Sutcliffe, from Jersey, was on holiday with her parents and sister in Turkey when she suddenly fell ill.
A medic at their hotel treated her and said her pain was due to tonsillitis – despite her mum’s concern that Isla was suffering pain in her stomach, not her throat.
When her condition worsened the next day her family rushed Isla to hospital, only to be met by the same doctor who treated her at the hotel.
He insisted Isla was fit to be discharged with Nurofen and travel back to the Channel Islands that night, as the family had reached the final day of their trip.
But Isla’s condition became much worse at the airport and she was rushed to hospital in an ambulance.
Family friend Taylor Kearns, who is raising money to cover their expenses, explained: ‘Isla deteriorated drastically resulting in an ambulance having to take her to hospital from the airport, to be told that it was appendicitis and sepsis.
‘The appendix then ruptured resulting in the unimaginable. The [family] will all be returning back to Jersey shortly.
‘Isla brought so much joy and laughter into the lives of those who knew her. Her radiant smile and infectious spirit will forever be etched in our hearts.
‘While we cannot ease the emotional burden, we can help alleviate some of the financial stress that comes with such an unexpected loss.
‘Tragedies like this are unimaginable, and no family should ever have to endure such pain, let alone in a foreign country away from all family and friends, knowing she could have been saved if it weren’t for the poor medical care provided and misdiagnosis.
‘The purpose of this GoFundMe campaign is to raise funds to assist Laura, Ryan and their family with the travel, funeral and ongoing expenses they are facing during this incredibly difficult time.
‘The last thing we want is for them to worry about financial matters while grieving.’
A spokesperson for the Foreign Office told MailOnline: ‘We are assisting the family of a British child who has died in Turkey.’
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