Copyright irishmirror
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 witnessed an "alarming rise" in reports of illegal weight loss injections being sold online over the past 12 months. Karen's family were left devastated after the 53-year-old from Salford in Greater Manchester passed away in May this year. Her death occurred just days after she was allegedly illegally administered a dose of semaglutide, a weight loss drug. The tragedy means Karen will not be present for the birth of her fifth grandchild as one of her two daughters, Ffion, has discovered she's expecting. 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 revealed how in the months leading up to her death, Karen had been battling with her mental health and was "desperate" to shed weight. Her daughters say her self-confidence plummeted when her long-term relationship came to an end, and she believed that being overweight was "destroying 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 consulted her GP, where she underwent tests to determine if she would qualify for Mounjaro – dubbed the 'King Kong' of anti-obesity medications. However, she was unable to obtain the medication on the NHS , which maintains stringent criteria for prescriptions. Those who qualify must have a BMI of 40 or above and at least four of the following: confirmed diagnosis of hypertension, sleep apnoea, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and hypercholesterolaemia. The mum was informed by friends that it was available for purchase at a local beauty salon. Text messages were allegedly sent by a beautician offering the injections for £20 (€23) each. Weight-loss injections can only be lawfully and safely administered with a prescription from a healthcare professional - such as a doctor or pharmacist. Karen attended the salon on multiple occasions for what she was told were genuine licensed injections. Her youngest daughter, Ffion, told ITV News the beautician "stopped doing a woman's nails" to escort 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 begun shedding weight, but four days following her final injection, she suddenly fell ill - suffering "agony" with excruciating abdominal pains and battling to breathe. When her daughter, Ffion, witnessed her mother's face turn "purple" she rang for an ambulance. "She got blue-lighted to the hospital. By the time I saw her again - she wasn't awake." Following two days in intensive care, Karen's three daughters were informed there was nothing more medics could do to save her. Relatives and friends were told to bid their farewells, and Karen's life support was switched 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 discovered she's expecting 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 discovered that Karen was not given tirzepatide, known by the brand name Mounjaro, but instead she was administered semaglutide - a different weight loss medication requiring a different dosage. Karen's loved ones are now awaiting further test results, but they suspect the unregulated slimming injections were responsible for her untimely death. In the UK, anyone found guilty of selling unlicensed prescription-only medicines could face up to two years in prison and an unlimited fine. The sisters spoke to ITV News, expressing their belief that the police and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) should be doing more to halt the illegal distribution of unlicensed and unsafe drugs. "I think the people who are actually injecting people with this stuff - more needs to be done to them," Abbie stated. "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 their mum's passing, the sisters have decided to speak out to alert others about the risks. Ffion told ITV News she would "beg on hands and knees" for others to avoid using counterfeit 'skinny jabs'. "If this saves another person" Abbie said "or prevents another person experiencing what we feel - then we've done enough." She issued a stark warning to anyone considering taking the "cheaper option", cautioning: "The outcome is devastating. It's heartbreaking and it's really, really not worth it." A representative for Greater Manchester Police , when asked about the investigation into Karen's death, stated: "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 commented: "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." Speaking to The Mirror, UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: "My heart goes out to Karen's family after just such a shocking and avoidable loss, and we're determined to make sure that we drive these dangerous criminals out of our country. "My message to the public is that whilst weight loss jabs can be really helpful to tackle obesity, and there's lots of evidence to support it, people must seek medical advice from regulated medical providers before taking this medication, and if people are seeing it for sale on the black market, they should report it, because you know, as this tragic case shows, sometimes you don't know what you're buying and what you're being sold is not what it's purported to be that can have harmful, or, in the worst cases, tragic consequences and fatal consequences." Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here .
