Dad of woman who died after Turkey surgery pays tribute to ‘passionate and caring’ daughter

An inquest concluded Morgan Ribeiro, 20, died as a result of complications from gastric sleeve surgery in Turkey in January 2024

The heartbroken dad of a woman who died after a gastric sleeve op in Turkey has paid tribute to his daughter, telling an inquest: “She was a very passionate person. She cared.”

Richard Ribeiro shared memories of his girl Morgan Ribeiro, 20, moments after an inquest found she perished as a result of complications from the cosmetic procedure.

Tragic Morgan, who worked in a nursery for disabled children, travelled to Istanbul from her home in Croydon, South London, on January 5, 2024, for the weight loss surgery. Three days later, medics gave her clearance to fly back to the UK. But she took a turn for the worst during the return flight to London Gatwick, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing in Belgrade, Serbia, where she was admitted to ICU. She died five days later on January 13.

Assistant Coroner Laura Stephenson told South London Coroner’s Court many attempts had been made to contact Morgan’s surgeon, Dr Serkan Bayil, but that these were unsuccessful. She said: “It has not been possible to establish contact with the clinic or surgeon who performed it. I have [therefore] relied on the post mortem conducted in Serbia, information from the Serbian police..and information from Morgan’s partner about her travel.”

The court heard how Morgan underwent emergency surgery in Serbia where medics discovered her intestinal wall had ruptured. Ms Stephenson concluded her medical cause of death was peritonitis caused by the rupture, which likely happened as a result of the gastric sleeve surgery.

Medical notes from the private hospital Ozel Medivitia in Istanbul, where Morgan was treated, state she was deemed stable and fit for discharge. But her partner Jamie Brewster told the court she was suffering from abdominal pain and a fever, which worsened when they boarded the London-bound flight.

Devastated dad Richard sat alongside a friend at Friday’s inquest. Speaking through tears after being asked if he wanted to share anything about his daughter, he told the inquest: “Morgan was working in a nursery for disabled children, looking after children with special needs. She was a very passionate person. She cared.”

Morgan’s mum, Erin Gibson, previously spoke to the Mirror emphasising her need for justice. She said: “It’s wrong, it shouldn’t be happening. My daughter had her whole life ahead of her. It’s hard to adjust. Grief-stricken is an understatement.”

After years of suffering bullying due to her weight, Morgan decided to undertake weight loss surgery. A gastric band operation in the UK costs between £8,000 and £10,000 and Morgan paid £2,500 for the surgery in Turkey, it was previously said. In 2024, The Mirror confronted surgeon Dr Bayil in Istanbul. He denied botching it, saying Morgan suffered an embolism and insisted he did nothing wrong.