Daughter tells of dad’s mystery illness battle

Stuart Turner and his daughter Lisa Youell on holiday in Lanzarote, days before he fell ill. Right, a gaunt Stuart with Lisa in Hospital A DISTRAUGHT daughter has told how her dad is dying in front of her eyes after he was struck down with a mystery illness that has left medics baffled for three months.

Stuart Turner, 60, fell ill with a sickness bug while on a family holiday in Lanzarote towards the end of April.

But the stomach pains and sickness intensified when he returned home to Newsome and he had to be admitted to Huddersfield A&E as he continually passed out in agony.

Since then he has been in and out of both Huddersfield and Calderdale hospitals but doctors have failed to diagnose his illness.

Stuart, a father-of five and grandfather to six, suffers constant nausea and is sick almost every time he eats. He has lost three stone in the last three months and daughter Lisa Youell, 39, fears he will die if he is not diagnosed and treated soon.

The only time Stuart feels comfortable and the nausea eases so he can get some sleep is when he is lying on his stomach.

Lisa, also from Newsome, said: “Dad has had every test they can do – twice – and the doctors still don’t know what is wrong with him. It is a complete mystery.

“He has had brain scans, MRI scans, swallow tests and X-rays and they say everything is functioning fine.

“He has seen six different consultants as well as many psychiatrists but they have no answers.

“If this carries on he will die. His body is giving up but so is he after an horrific three months.

“There is nothing I can do for him and I just hope somebody out there will read this and know what is happening to my dad.”

Stuart, who runs his own kitchen, bathroom and bedroom design and fitting business, has not been able to work for three months.

Daughter Lisa, a married mum-offour, added: “We will have to sell his house as he can no longer keep up with the mortgage payments.

“But he is not even well enough to make that decision. It is like watching a man who was once so positive and outgoing but is now in the final stages of his life.

“He is dying in front of me and we just want to know what is wrong with him.

“If he had a diagnosis we could accept it and seek the right treatment but at the moment we can do nothing.

“The only time it stops is when he lies on his stomach and I just hope somebody out there recognises this symptom.”

Speaking from his hospital bed at Calderdale Royal Hospital in Halifax after being re-admitted this week, Stuart said: “I’m a broken man right now.

“The last three months have been horrible. Living with the constant sickness is stopping me from having any quality of life.

“I’m depressed as I am unable to work. I love my job and I’ve always been super busy. It is so hard to go from that to not being able to do anything.

“The initial pain was so bad I used to crawl around on the hospital floor to find a position I could get relief from. I never found that position.”

Lisa added: “We will try anything. The doctors do not know what it is but someobody somewhere must be able to help.”