A Turkish family who raised an astonishing GBP 1.8 million to buy the world’s most expensive drug to cure their daughter have lost her after she developed a chest infection and was hooked up to a faulty ventilator at a local hospital.
The tragedy happened in Adana, a city in southern Turkey, where four-year-old Yasmin Elif Salman battled spinal muscular atrophy for years before her death on 6th September.
Her parents had achieved what many believed to be impossible. With no access to state funding for Zolgensma - a one-time gene therapy that costs more than any other medicine in the world - they launched an appeal that spread nationwide.
Picture shows little Yasmin Elif, undated. She died after spending seven months in coma in Adana, Turkey. Note: Private photo. (Newsflash/NX)
Donations came in from every corner of Turkey, from pensioners giving small sums to wealthy benefactors, until they reached the staggering GBP 1.8 million target.
Her mother Hilal told local media: "We were poor people, but the whole country stood with us. Everyone helped. We raised the money. We got the drug. We gave her a future. She was getting stronger."
But weeks after receiving the treatment, Yasmin caught a chest infection and was admitted to a hospital in Adana in February.
There, her family say she was attached to a ventilator that was already known to be malfunctioning.
Picture shows little Yasmin Elif with her mother, undated. She died after spending seven months in coma in Adana, Turkey. Note: Private photo. (Newsflash/NX)
Her mother said: "They told me they wouldn't connect Yasmin to the device because there was a problem with it.
"But in the morning the doctor called and said, 'We told the nurses, but they still connected Yasmin to the device.'
"Then they told me, 'Your daughter suffered a cardiac arrest'."
Yasmine slipped into a coma and remained on life support for seven months before her death.
Her parents say that instead of accepting responsibility, the hospital pressured them to sign documents absolving it of blame before releasing their daughter’s body.
Picture shows little Yasmin Elif with her mother, undated. She died after spending seven months in coma in Adana, Turkey. Note: Private photo. (Newsflash/NX)
The demand sparked fury among relatives and neighbours, who joined the family in calling for justice.
The family have now filed a complaint against the hospital, accusing doctors and administrators of negligence and a cover-up.
Her mother said: "She only had a simple infection. She was supposed to be discharged two days later."
She added: "We believe there was negligence. We want an autopsy to be carried out so that the truth will come out.
"We were supposed to celebrate our daughter's birthday in two weeks, but today we laid her to rest."
(Mike Leidig / newsX)