Leslie Green flew to Fuerteventura with his wife Julie to celebrate his 70th birthday, but both fell seriously ill and ended up in hospital on the second week of their stay
A British woman has been left heartbroken after her husband died while on a luxury family holiday in the Canary Islands as a result of salmonella.
Leslie Green had been staying at the four-star Occidental Jandia Playa resort in Fuerteventura while enjoying a sunshine break for his 70th birthday. But he fell seriously ill during the second week of their £2,300 holiday, and was admitted to a Spanish hospital when his condition got worse.
The grandfather-of-one then developed complications, including sepsis and kidney failure, and tragically died in hospital about four weeks later.
Leslie’s wife of 38 years, Julie, was also left seriously ill after she also contracted salmonella and spent a week in hospital. She was struck down a week after the start of her husband’s illness – on the day of her 60th birthday.
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Leslie, of Little Lever, Bolton, has now instructed specialist international serious injury lawyers to investigate their case. She said the couple had concerns that a carbonara sauce they ate one day was lukewarm, while she found her chicken to be undercooked during another meal.
Leslie also revealed she didn’t see any staff washing their hands and said that newly-cooked food would be mixed with food that had been left standing out.
Retired NHS assistant nurse Julie said: “When we booked the holiday to celebrate my 60th and Leslie’s 70th, we never imagined it would turn out the way it did.
“During the second week of the holiday, Leslie became ill and got progressively worse. I soon knew it was serious and wasn’t just a 24-hour thing that would pass.
“A few days later he was in hospital and then a week later I was as well. I was lucky in that, while I was very poorly, I wasn’t as bad as Leslie.
“Seeing him in hospital in those last few days was awful. He looked so frail, and I felt so helpless as I couldn’t do anything for him.
“Saying goodbye and seeing his life slip away is something I don’t think I’ll get over.
“Leslie was one of the good guys,” she continued. “He was a kind and gentle man who adored his family and enjoyed keeping fish, playing darts and pool, and supporting his football team, Bury FC.
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“I still can’t comprehend how we went on holiday together, but Leslie never came home. If it wasn’t for the pain I wake with daily, it almost wouldn’t seem real.
“Leslie and I had so many plans for our retirement, but I feel cheated that these have been taken away from us in the cruellest way. The least I deserve is answers.”
Leslie and Julie, who have two daughters and one grandchild, arrived at Occidental Jandia Playa on 1 October last year. But Leslie, a retired newspaper delivery driver for the Manchester Evening News, fell ill on October 9 with symptoms including diarrhoea, which led to dehydration.
He was seen by the in-resort doctor on October 12 before being taken by ambulance to a local clinic to be given fluids. His condition did not improve, and he was admitted to hospital the following day.
Leslie, who tested positive for salmonella, suffered complications including kidney failure, pneumonia and sepsis – where the body attacks itself in response to an infection. He was placed into an induced coma, but he continued to deteriorate, and doctors said they could do nothing further for him.
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Leslie, who had turned 70 in July 2024, died hours after his life-support machine was switched off on November 4. His body was repatriated a week later, and a post-mortem examination was carried out on 18 November, the results of which are awaited.
Julie, who had remained in Fuerteventura at the end of her holiday to be at her husband’s bedside, fell ill on October 16 and was admitted to hospital the following day. She was discharged on October 2.
One of the couple’s daughter, Becci, 35, flew out to support her parents and was by her dad’s bedside when his life-support machine was switched off.
Their eldest daughter, Sarah, 38, who is in end stage kidney failure, had recently been discharged from intensive care so was not medically fit to fly.
Another British woman, 50-year-old Michaela Smith, who fell ill while staying at the resort around the same time as Leslie and Julie, has also asked lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate after she too was diagnosed with salmonella.
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Jennifer Hodgson, the expert international serious injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing Julie, said: “This is an extremely worrying case with the first-hand accounts we’ve heard from our clients who stayed at the resort at the same time being very similar.
“The impact of salmonella and other gastric illnesses should never be downplayed.They can result in serious complications leading to serious injury and sadly death, as Leslie’s case tragically highlights.
“While nothing can make up for what’s happened, we’re now investigating our client’s concerns and are determined to provide them with not only the answers they deserve, but access to specialist rehabilitation and support,” she continued.
“With Fuerteventura also being a winter sun destination, we’d urge holidaymakers due to visit this resort in the coming weeks to take care.
“In the meantime, if during the course of our investigations any issues are identified, action needs to be taken to reduce the risk of other holidaymakers falling ill in the future.
“It’s also vital that if there are others with concerns about the resort, they’re also now supported.”
