Mum, Karen McGonigal was desperate to lose weight as her self esteem plunged following a relationship split and wanted her old self back. She turned to the skinny jab but died within days of having the injections at a salon
A mum with the “biggest heart” has died after being injected with a black market ‘skinny jab’.
Karen McGonigal’s “heartbroken” daughters are now calling for a crackdown on the sale of unlicensed weight loss drugs. Karen’s daughters are “begging” others not to pay for dodgy weight loss jabs. In an exclusive interview with ITV News, the family are the first in the UK to speak publicly about a death linked to fake weight loss jabs.
Across the UK campaigners Save Face say people have been “playing the lottery” with lives by using dodgy jabs.
Ashton Collins from campaigners Save Face told The Mirror they have seen an “alarming rise” in reports of illegal weight loss injections being sold online over the last 12 months.
Karen’s family were left reeling after the 53-year-old from Salford in Greater Manchester died in May this year. Her death happened just days after she was allegedly illegally administered a dose of semaglutide, a weight loss drug.
The tragedy means Karen will not be around for the birth of her fifth grandchild as one of her two daughters, Ffion, has discovered she’s pregnant.
Paying tribute to their “kind and loving” mother, Abbie and Ffion McGonigal said she had “lived for her kids and grandkids.”
“She had the biggest heart and would do anything for anybody” Abbie told ITV News, adding “if she was your friend – you were lucky”.
They told how in the months before her death, Karen had been struggling with her mental health and was “desperate” to lose weight. Her daughters say her self-esteem suffered when her long-term relationship ended, and she felt that being overweight was “ruining her life”.
Abbie said: “She didn’t feel happy in herself, she didn’t want to go out anywhere. I think she just wanted her old self back – she wanted to lose weight to get her confidence back.”
Karen visited her GP, where she had tests to see if she would be eligible for Mounjaro – described as the ‘King Kong’ of anti obesity drugs.
But she was unable to get the drug on the NHS, which has strict guidelines for prescriptions. Those successful need to have a BMI of 40 or more and at least four of the following’ confirmed diagnosis of hypertension, sleep apnoea, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and hypercholestorolemia.
The mum was told by friends that it was available to buy at a local beauty salon. Text messages were allegedly sent by a beautician offering the jabs for £20 each.
Weight-loss injections can only be legally and safely dispensed with a prescription from a healthcare professional – like a doctor or a pharmacist. Karen visited the salon a number of times for what she was told were legitimate licensed injections.
Her youngest daughter, Ffion, told ITV News the beautician “stopped doing a woman’s nails” to take Karen into a back room where she was injected with a syringe.
“No preparation, no cleaning, nothing. She’d give it to my mum, my mum would pay her and she’d be out in three minutes.”
Karen had started to lose weight, but four days after her last injection, she suddenly became unwell – in “agony” with severe stomach pains and was struggling to breathe.
When her daughter, Ffion, saw her mother’s face turn “purple” she called an ambulance.
“She got blue-lighted to the hospital. By the time I saw her again – she wasn’t awake.”
After two days in intensive care, Karen’s three daughters were told there was nothing more doctors could do to save her. Family and friends were told to say their goodbyes, and Karen’s life support was turned off.
“We were around her, kissing and hugging her. We were singing” said Abbie. “All her friends were there… they all got to say their last goodbyes.”
Ffion, 25, who still lived with her mum, recently found out she’s pregnant with her first child. It would have been Karen’s fifth grandchild.
“I’m devastated and heartbroken that she’s not here to meet my baby,” Ffion told ITV News.
“It’s horrific. It’s the day-to-day routine that’s affected me. I would get up every morning and make me and my mum a cup of tea. You don’t think something so little as putting an extra tea bag out is going to affect you, but it does.”
The family has since been told Karen was not injected with tirzepatide, the drug known by the brand name Mounjaro, instead she was administered semaglutide – a different weight loss medication, requiring a different dosage.
Karen’s family are awaiting further test results, but they believe the unregulated weight-loss jabs were to blame for her death.
In the UK, anyone convicted of selling unlicensed prescription-only medicines faces up to two years in prison and an unlimited fine.
The sisters told ITV News, how they believe the police and the medicines regulator, the MHRA, should be doing more to stop the illegal supply of unlicensed and unsafe drugs.
“I think the people who are actually injecting people with this stuff – more needs to be done to them,” said Abbie.
“There’s so many people doing it, there’s so many people selling it” she added “these people are getting away with destroying people’s lives.”
Five months after losing their mum, the sisters have chosen to speak out to warn others of the dangers.
Ffion told ITV News she would “beg on hands and knees” for others to not use fake ‘skinny jabs’. “If this saves another person” said Abbie “or saves another person going through what we feel – then we’ve done enough.”
Warning anyone who might be considering taking the “cheaper option”, she cautioned: “The outcome is devastating. It’s heartbreaking and it’s really, really not worth it.”
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police asked about the investigation into Karen’s death said: “One person has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and another on suspicion of supply of a controlled substance. The police investigation is ongoing.”
Ashton Collins from Save Face said: “We have seen an alarming rise in reports regarding illegal weight loss injections being sold online over the past 12 months.
“We are now receiving at least one report every week. These products are being sold by individuals with no medical qualifications which means that they are unable to prescribe these prescription only medicines.
“They are sold in unlabelled vials and are sent in enveloped with loose syringes and saline, leaving users to mix and administer the injections themselves. This practice is extremely dangerous.
“Purchasing drugs from illegal sources is like playing the lottery with your life. There is no way of determining what exactly is in these products or whether the dosages are safe and consistent.
“There has already been one death linked to illegal weight loss drugs in the UK and given the scale of the issue more will undoubtedly follow unless the regulators clamp down on this dangerous practice.
“Beyond the serious health risks, unscrupulous sellers lack the medical expertise to assess if individuals are suitable for these treatments and will have no idea if they have existing health conditions or are taking medications that cause serious contraindications. Additionally, there is no guidance provided about nutrition or exercise.
“Alarmingly, these drugs are also being sold to people who are not overweight, which can lead to malnutrition, long-term health problems, and detrimental impacts on mental health.
“If you are considering weight loss injections, please consult a regulated healthcare professional and always purchase products from licensed and reputable pharmacies. “
Andy Morling, MHRA Deputy Director of Criminal Enforcement, said: “My thoughts are with Karen’s family following her tragic death.”
“The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for the regulation of medicines in the UK under the Human Medicines Regulations 2012.
“Buying any medicine from illegal online suppliers significantly increases the risk of receiving falsified or unlicensed products. We work closely with law enforcement partners, customs authorities, social media and online platforms to remove illegal medicines from sale, block harmful websites, disrupt payment routes, and delist offending domains from search engines.
“Where breaches of the law are identified in the UK, we will not hesitate to use the full range of our enforcement powers to protect public health, including, where appropriate, prosecuting those who put people at risk.”
