Family’s dream holiday turned into a nightmare after mum left sick

A mum who was diagnosed with an illness while on her dream holiday is still unwell two months later. Samantha Broadbent had been enjoying her time in the sun after travelling to a five-star resort in the Dominican Republic with her son to celebrate him finishing primary school. But as the pair finished up their holiday and headed to the airport to fly back to Manchester, Samantha realised something was wrong as she began throwing up and suffering from stomach cramps and diarrhoea.The 49-year-old, who was treating son Ben to a holiday, had been “really looking forward” to the trip.But her symptoms continued to get worse, and when she returned to the UK, Samantha, from Teesside, was treated in hospital with IV antibiotics and diagnosed with shigella, a bacterial infection, reports Teesside Live.The family was staying at Grand Sirenis Punta Cana Resort, and booked the holiday through tour operator TUI. Samantha claims she has since heard of other families who got sick during their stay at the five-star hotel.Since the trip in late August, Samantha continues to have ongoing symptoms. She said: “I booked the holiday so I could have some quality time with Ben after he finished school. We had both been really looking forward to it, but by the end of the trip I was really unwell.” The mum has been left unwell since the trip (Image: )Samantha added: “Food was left uncovered and reheated, with new food added to existing. There were also crabs and cats seen around the buffet, as well as spiders and flies. It really didn’t seem hygienic to me.”She also claims she saw plasters and bugs floating in the pool, adding “which really isn’t something you expect from a five-star resort.’She added: ‘I’m not someone who normally suffers from a delicate stomach, but it’s been awful since our holiday. I always have to make sure there’s a toilet around and there are some things I can’t eat now as they trigger it.’To find out I had a bacterial infection was a huge shock and I deserve some answers. While I can’t change what I’ve been through, knowing how it happened might help stop others from suffering as I have.’READ MORE: China caused more pollution in eight years than Britain has in 220 Samantha treated son Ben to the holiday in August (Image: )The mum has instructed lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate how she became infected with shigella.Jatinder Paul, the specialist international serious injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing Samantha, said: ‘Samantha had been looking forward to treating Ben to a well-earned holiday after he finished primary school. Sadly, however, she fell ill at the end of the trip and ended up in hospital in the UK.’Shigella is a bacterial infection most commonly contracted by consuming food or water that has become contaminated. It can have a significant impact on those affected.’We’re now investigating how Samantha developed her illness and are determined to obtain the answers she deserves. If, during the course of our investigation, any issues are identified, it’s vital that lessons are learned to help prevent other holidaymakers falling ill in the future.’DON’T MISS:Woman walks out of date early after seeing man using ‘cloth napkin’ [INSIGHT]Young mother of two, 22, says ‘all the other mums stare’ at school [COMMENT]Woman misses out on buying first home after ‘bank deletes account’ [PICTURES] The mum reported seeing crabs around the food (Image: )In response, a TUI spokesperson said: “We are sorry to hear about Ms Broadbent’s experience at the Grand Sirenis Punta Cana Resort In the Dominican Republic, however as this is now a legal matter it would be inappropriate to comment.”We’d like to reassure customers that we regularly audit all of our hotels with respect to health and safety, including hygiene.”