The devastated daughters of a woman who died after being injected with a black-market weight-loss drug are calling for tougher action against the illegal sale of unlicensed “skinny jabs.”
Karen McGonigal, 53, from Salford, Greater Manchester, died in May, just days after receiving an injection she believed was the weight-loss drug Mounjaro. Her family later learned she had been given semaglutide instead, a different medication requiring a different dose.
Karen’s daughters Abbie and Ffion described their mother as “kind and loving,” adding that she “lived for her kids and grandkids.”
“She had the biggest heart and would do anything for anybody,” said Abbie, per ITV News. “If she was your friend, you were lucky.”
They said their mother had been struggling with her mental health and self-esteem after the end of a long-term relationship and had grown “desperate” to lose weight. “She didn’t feel happy in herself,” Abbie recalled. “She just wanted her old self back.”
Karen tragically died due to complications from fake 'skinny jabs'. Credit: Facebook.
Bought Injections from a Local Salon
After learning she wasn’t eligible for prescription injections through the NHS, Karen was told by friends she could buy them from a local beauty salon for £20 per dose, The Independent reports.
Text messages show a beautician offering the jabs, even though weight-loss injections can only be legally prescribed by qualified medical professionals.
According to Ffion, her mother would visit the salon and be injected in a back room, without sterilization or medical oversight. “No preparation, no cleaning, nothing,” she said. “She’d pay and be out in three minutes.”
A Sudden Decline
Karen began losing weight, but four days after her last injection, she fell seriously ill with severe stomach pain and difficulty breathing. “When her face turned purple, I called an ambulance,” said Ffion. “By the time I saw her again, she wasn’t awake.”
After two days in intensive care, her daughters were told there was nothing more doctors could do. Surrounded by family and friends, Karen’s life support was turned off.
Ffion, now expecting her first child, said: “I’m devastated and heartbroken that she’s not here to meet my baby.”
Greater Manchester Police have confirmed one person has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and another on suspicion of supplying a controlled substance. The investigation is ongoing.
Karen’s daughters believe their mother’s death could have been prevented. “There are so many people selling this stuff,” said Abbie. “They’re getting away with destroying people’s lives.”
The sisters are now speaking publicly to warn others about the dangers of fake and unlicensed weight-loss drugs, as per Salford Now.
“If this saves another person, or stops another family from going through what we have, then we’ve done enough,” said Abbie.
Ffion added: “I’d beg on my hands and knees for people not to use fake skinny jabs. The outcome is devastating. It’s really not worth it.”
Government Vows Action
Health Secretary Wes Streeting told ITV News he was “shocked” by the case and promised to clamp down on the black-market sale of prescription medicines.
Abbie and Ffion. Credit: ITV News.
“We’re determined to drive these dangerous criminals out of our country,” he said. “While weight-loss jabs can help tackle obesity, people must seek medical advice from regulated professionals. If you see them for sale on the black market, report it.”
Andy Morling, Deputy Director of Criminal Enforcement at the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), warned that buying medication illegally “significantly increases the risk of receiving falsified or unsafe products.”
He added: “We will not hesitate to use the full range of our enforcement powers to protect public health and prosecute those who put people at risk.”