A family say they have been left bed-bound after all falling violently ill on their summer holiday. The Richards family had jetted off to the Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya Resort and Spa in Cancun, Mexico, when they all started suffering from sickness and diarrhoea back in July.
All six holidaymakers claim to still be suffering from their symptoms, weeks after flying back home to the UK. Katie, 33, and Ashley Richards, 34, had booked the five star hotel for them and their six-year-old daughter Ruby to celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary. Other family members also joined them half way through the two-week trip.
However, Katie started to feel unwell just six days into the vacation and couldn't keep her food down. Within three days, Ashley, Ruby, and a nephew were also struck down by sickness, with Ashley unable to leave his bed for three days..
Katie, who works as a nurse, said: “When we landed in Mexico, we were looking forward to two weeks of sun and relaxation. Ashley and I had honeymooned in the Riviera Maya area, and we had such a fantastic time back then that we agreed to bring our daughter on holiday on our ten-year anniversary.
"Sadly, our trip was nothing like that. Instead, most of us spent most of the second week unwell."
She claimed: “I recall some of the food, including chicken, appeared undercooked and was served lukewarm. New food was added on top of the existing buffet and some items were totally dried out and inedible.
"I also noticed that salad, yoghurts and cottage cheese weren’t kept chilled, and the cutlery and crockery were often dirty or stained. We also saw a lot of flies around the food, as well as cats, birds and raccoons hanging around.
The family returned to the UK on August 3 but both Katie and Ashley's symptoms have continued and they've been forced to go to see their local GP. Katie said her parents, Alison Whitmore, 60, and Philip Whitmore, 61, also fell ill during the holiday.
The pair have also been to see their doctor, with Philip testing positive for cyclospora, a pathogen contracted by drinking unclean water or eating food that hasn't been cooked properly or washed with clean water. Philip said: “I was shocked when I was told by the doctor that I had cyclospora and learned about how it can be contracted.
"Being a retired chef with 40 years of professional catering experience, I did notice some concerning issues around food hygiene as the holiday went on, but I never thought that most of my family would become so unwell.”
The family has now instructed lawyers to try to find answers.
Derbyshire Live contacted Sirenis Hotels, the company that owns the Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya Resort and Spa for its response to the claims, and reported they were still awaiting a reply.
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