The family of a British woman who passed away after using a black market ‘skinny jab’ is cautioning others about the hazards of unregulated treatments.
Karen McGonigal, aged 53, received an illegal dose of semaglutide in May and unfortunately died days after being hospitalized.
Karen, from Salford in Greater Manchester, grappled with mental health and self-esteem issues following the end of a long-term relationship. Her family described her as being ‘desperate’ to lose weight.
In response, Karen’s grieving family members are speaking out, becoming the first in the UK to alert others about the potential dangers of unregulated weight loss treatments.
In an emotional interview, her daughters, Abbie and Ffion McGonigal, shared memories of their mother and discussed the challenges Karen faced, which led her to consider weight loss treatment.
They shared with ITV News: “She had the biggest heart and would do anything for anybody. If she was your friend – you were lucky.”
Abbie and Ffion described their mother as ‘kind and loving,’ emphasizing that she ‘lived for her kids and grandkids’.
Abbie remarked: “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.”
Concerned about her weight and self-esteem, Karen initially consulted her GP about the potential for weight loss injections.
However, tests revealed she was not eligible for this treatment through the UK’s National Health Service (NHS).
Karen reportedly found a local beauty salon offering weight loss injections, with messages obtained by ITV News indicating they charged £20 per jab.
While available privately, weight loss injections must legally and safely be administered only with a doctor’s or pharmacist’s prescription.
Ffion claimed that the salon, which her mother reportedly visited multiple times, neglected proper precautions before giving the jab, alleging that the beautician even ‘stopped doing someone’s nails’ to administer the injection in a back room.
“No preparation, no cleaning, nothing,” Ffion recalled. “She’d give it to my mom, my mom would pay her, and she’d be out in three minutes.”
Approximately four days after her last injection, Karen fell ill, experiencing intense stomach pains and difficulty breathing. Ffion vividly described her mother’s face turning ‘purple’.
“She got blue-lighted to the hospital. By the time I saw her again, she wasn’t awake,” she recounted.
After two days in intensive care, Karen’s life support was withdrawn.
Her untimely death meant she never met her fifth grandchild, as Ffion, 25, discovered she was expecting her first child.
The sisters are urging others against choosing the ‘cheap’ alternative.
Abbie stated: “The outcome is devastating. It’s heartbreaking and it’s really, really not worth it.”
Karen’s family later learned that she was not given tirzepatide, branded as Mounjaro, but instead received semaglutide, requiring a different dosage.
According to ITV News, Greater Manchester Police have arrested one individual on suspicion of manslaughter and another for supplying a controlled substance.
The investigation is ongoing.