A mum-of-five flew to Turkey for the weight loss surgery after fearing it would take years on the NHS waiting list. But when she got home, she noticed worrying symptoms
A woman has been left devastated after her weight loss surgery left doctors fearing she may never walk again. Danielle Peebles weighed 28 stone and was unable to walk due to her size, leaving her “desperate” to lose the weight.
The mum-of-five opted for bariatric surgery in Turkey in summer 2023 after fearing a long wait on the NHS. After splurging £2,995 on the surgery, she woke up in a “beautiful hospital” and was told the procedure went smoothly and without complication.
But after flying home, Danielle began to experience problems and knew something “wasn’t right”. Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, she said: “I was trying to improve myself, and be a better mum and a better nana as quickly as possible as my grandson was about to be born. I was doing what I thought was best for us. I was nervous, it was a big operation but it seemed to go smoothly and I was relieved to feel fine afterwards.
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“But from the moment I got home, I just couldn’t eat, I couldn’t keep anything down, I could barely have any liquid. That carried on for weeks and months, I just couldn’t tolerate anything.” Danielle immediately called the Turkish hospital for help, but the distance meant she was unable to receive the care she needed. “They can only give me advice as best they can over email,” she added. “And they advised me to go to A&E.”
After going to hospital in December 2023, the 42-year-old was told by medics she was severely dehydrated and was placed on a drip. A few weeks later in January 2024, Danielle got more poorly and collapsed after her legs went “numb”. Danielle questioned herself, saying: “I’d never had weight loss surgery, so I didn’t know if this was just part of it. But then I collapsed and when I came round, I was paralysed from the neck down and couldn’t walk.”
That began “the worst time in [her] life”, as Danielle was diagnosed with the rare condition, nutritional neuropathy – a severe vitamin deficiency that Danielle says stemmed from not being able to eat. Danielle endured the “worst pain she’s ever felt”. Her feet flared up at the “slightest touch”, leaving her “screaming”.
“I don’t think I quite realised that I was paralysed, it takes a doctor to tell you even though you can’t walk,” Danielle shared. “I don’t think I understood the severity of how poorly I was. Then I was told I had very severe nerve damage and might not walk again.
“The surgical side of my procedure had all been fine, it was how my body dealt with it. You don’t hear that you can get nutritional neuropathy from not eating. You’re not told about these side effects because they’re so rare.”
Danielle, her husband Stephen, and the rest of her family were left devastated as she ‘left her children for months in Salford Royal Hospital’ to recover. “We didn’t know what was going to happen,” said Danielle. “It really upset me, I had such mum guilt. The surgery had totally backfired.”
Recovery from nerve damage can be a slow process and Danielle remained at Salford Royal for five months. Slowly but surely, she started regaining sensation in her limbs. The grandma-of-one says she was blown away by her hospital care. Physiotherapists, support workers and dieticians made Danielle believe that she might walk again if she kept up with her intensive rehabilitation plan.
Neurologist Dr Dan Whittam “went out of his way, I can’t even explain how above and beyond he went for me”, said Danielle. “He pushed me downstairs for all my tests and took me for all my scans. He really didn’t have to do that.
“It takes a lot of repetitive movements to get the nerves to link back to the brain again. It starts with getting your fingers moving again first. The first time I lifted my head up was to give my son a cuddle again after months. I can walk, but I’ve got a long way to go. I’m still doing more than I ever thought I would.”
Danielle has been reunited with members of the medical team responsible for her life-changing care, including Dr Dan, who is now a consultant in the neurology department. The pair shared an emotional hug as Danielle walked unaided towards him and thanked the Salford Royal for “making their mark” in supporting her recovery.
Husband Stephen added: “Danielle has done amazingly and I am so proud of her. She is still in the early stages of her recovery but she is determined to live as normal a life as possible.”
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