A 29-year-old woman from the UK tragically passed away this week after complications with a "butt lift surgery" that she underwent in Turkey. Leah Cambridge, a mother-of-three, died in the operating theatre while having an operation that her partner had reportedly tried to talk her out of.
According to her family, Cambridge collapsed shortly after the £3,000 procedure went underway, but the exact cause of her death has not yet been identified.
"I am absolutely heartbroken," wrote Scott Franks, Cambridge's partner, on Tuesday. "[It] still doesn’t feel real. I’m hoping she’s at home when I walk through that door and I’ve had an awful nightmare. Leah Cambridge you [were] my little darling and always will be."
"Scott had talked about her going out and getting this 'Brazilian butt lift' done, but she didn't need it, she didn't," said one of Cambridge's neighbours in Leeds. "He said that he had told her not to go, but you know what it's like, wives can get round their husbands."
Sadly, she then added: "A few days ago, he told us what had happened and was just stunned. 'She's died, she's died', he kept saying."
The so-called "butt lift" has become increasingly popular in recent years thanks to celebrities such as Kim Kardashian, and, in fact, some British reality TV stars have visited the exact same Turkish surgery Cambridge did in order to have the procedure done.
The operation sounded like it should have been relatively simple, as the process involves transferring fat from one area of the body to the rear-end. Cambridge was apparently insecure about excess weight she had around her stomach since having her children, and so wanted the operation done in order to give her a more curvaceous figure.
"I told her she was beautiful how she was but she really wanted it for her own confidence," said 31-year-old Franks. "I didn't think this would ever happen - or could happen to her."
Another neighbour said:
"I'm just so shocked, she was a beautiful woman, absolutely stunning, and your heart goes out to those three little ones.
"Young people like her need telling, all these TV shows and celebrities are putting pressure on these girls to go out and have these expensive treatments.
"She didn't need it, she was beautiful how she was."
In the wake of the young mother's death, the British Association of Aesthetic and Plastic Surgeons have warned about the dangers of cosmetic surgery, and noted that Brazilian butt lifts, in particular, have higher than average fatality rates.
"[The operation] has the highest death rate of all procedures due to the risk of injecting fat into large veins in the buttocks that can travel to the heart or brain and cause severe illness and death," explained Gerard Lambe, a spokesperson for BAAPS.
Lambe also warned about travelling abroad for surgery, explaining that:
"You cannot be certain about the surgeons or hospital you are being treated in. Crucially, you cannot be cared for to a high standard once you leave the country when you are at your most vulnerable.
"Your health is priceless so do not for the sake of a discounted price on a procedure fee compromise your safety.
"We cannot stress highly enough how vital it is to only undergo surgery in a fully registered hospital with full Intensive care support. A good surgeon will be able to step into emergency mode immediately and lives can be saved."
Franks is obviously devastated by the loss of his partner, and still has not found a way to tell his two youngest children - aged two and four - that their mother is not coming home. He has vowed, however, to give all three of her kids the best life possible, and to raise awareness about this issue so that others do not meet the same fate.
