A British father who was put into a coma following a freak fall while on holiday in Turkey died just minutes before his daughters were allowed to go to his bedside after they flew in from the UK.
Marlon McCormack, 51, suffered a bleed on the brain after falling while using gym equipment at his hotel, and had been in hospital for just over a week in an induced coma as doctors fought to save his life.
On Saturday, the hospital called his daughter Renelle McCormack, 27, and her 16-year-old sister to inform them that his organs were failing and he had just 24 hours left to live.
Desperate to say their final goodbyes, the sisters got the first flight to Turkey and went to see Marlon as soon as they could the next morning, but were held in a waiting room for half an hour.
Tragically, when they were eventually allowed to go to their father’s room, they were told by the surgeon that he had died 30 minutes before.
The ‘popular’ family man from Solihull had been enjoying a night out with his daughters the night before he fell and injured himself
![Marlon McCormack is pictured with his daughters when they were younger. Renelle is pictured right](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/05/08/13/84610421-13394889-image-m-6_1715172187398.jpg)
Marlon McCormack is pictured with his daughters when they were younger. Renelle is pictured right
![Renelle has organised a celebration of life event in memory of her beloved dad, who was known as Brando and who she said was popular with people 'all over the UK'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/05/08/13/84610419-13394889-image-m-7_1715172196653.jpg)
Renelle has organised a celebration of life event in memory of her beloved dad, who was known as Brando and who she said was popular with people ‘all over the UK’
Renelle, her sister and Marlon’s girlfriend Anna Ryan, 41, are now desperately trying to bring him home after their ordeal, which began during what was meant to be a dream holiday together.
The family, who had not taken out travel insurance for their trip, faced huge medical bills for Marlon’s treatment, which included payments for brain surgery and his stay in ICU.
The hospital bill stands at £23,000, costs which are now covered after his loved ones set up a GoFundMe page.
But the family now faces the daunting prospect of trying to repatriate his body and paying for a funeral, costs which they are unable to cover.
‘As my dad was the biggest earner in the house and is no longer here this has really shook everything up. Hence why we need all the help possible to get through and recover from all this,’ she told MailOnline.
‘My dad’s girlfriend cannot go into debt because of all this as she now has to solely run the household financially as well as take care of my sister.’
Marlon, a ‘popular’ family man from Solihull, had been enjoying a night out with his daughters and girlfriend just hours before he tripped while using gym equipment.
Renelle and her sister woke up to the terrible news that her dad was having a stroke, which left him with severe bleeding on the brain.
![Renelle, her sister and Marlon's girlfriend Anna Ryan (right), 41, are now desperately trying to bring him home after their ordeal](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/05/08/13/84124295-13394889-Anna_Ryan_R_said_she_had_raised_the_initial_3_000_payment_for_Ma-a-8_1715172302479.jpg)
Renelle, her sister and Marlon’s girlfriend Anna Ryan (right), 41, are now desperately trying to bring him home after their ordeal
He was rushed to hospital and placed into a coma before undergoing brain surgery, with doctors saying he would need a second major operation.
After days of hoping he could be saved, his devastated family received the heartbreaking news that he would soon pass away on Saturday.
‘We got the news that he had 24 hours left and his organs were failing so me and my sister got the next flight to say goodbye,’ Renelle said.
‘We arrived in the early hours and went to the hotel where we went to sleep. The hotel was 30 seconds from the hospital, so we went straight there first thing.
‘We got there and they told us to sit down in the waiting area, so we sat down there for half an hour before we went up.
‘The surgeon met us outside ICU, as he usually did, to give us an update. But it wasn’t an update.
‘The update was that he had died 30 minutes ago. It was the worst feeling ever.
![Marlon (left) said he fell while at the gym on holiday in Turkey, before losing feeling in his body](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/05/08/13/84124241-13394889-Marlon_left_said_he_fell_while_at_the_gym_on_holiday_in_Turkey_b-a-9_1715172346241.jpg)
Marlon (left) said he fell while at the gym on holiday in Turkey, before losing feeling in his body
‘We were waiting downstairs for half an hour and he said that’s when he died.
‘It was just really upsetting, the whole process, we were all in tears.’
After her dad’s death, Renelle’s sister is now an orphan, having lost her mother as a young child.
While dealing with the grief, the teenager is having to take her GCSEs next week, something which her older sister said is the ‘worst timing in the world’.
‘It will decide what path she goes down, I need her to do it but I know her head’s not in the right place right now,’ she said, adding: ‘I am proud of her either way.’
The horrific experience will stay with Renelle forever, she said. ‘I am never ever going on holiday again, I don’t like airports, I don’t like hotels.
‘There are so many triggers now that I didn’t realise surrounding the whole situation.
‘It’s just everything surrounding that, we tried to go on holiday and my dad died.’
After leaving Turkey on Monday, Renelle said she is still struggling to come to terms with what has happened.
![Renelle McCormack, 27, was taking family pictures with her younger sister, her father and his girlfriend just the night before](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/05/08/13/84377055-13394889-Renelle_McCormack_27_was_taking_family_pictures_with_her_younger-a-10_1715172353804.jpg)
Renelle McCormack, 27, was taking family pictures with her younger sister, her father and his girlfriend just the night before
‘I wake up every morning and think “my dad’s gone”. I am never going to hear his voice again, videos bring me to tears.’
While she believes her dad’s death was an accident, Renelle said that the family intend to have a post-mortem carried out when they get him back to the UK.
‘We want a post mortem carried out on him, as with the language barrier throughout this whole process we were never 100 per cent sure in what they were saying,’ she said. ‘We would like to know what happened to my dad.’
Even after all the heartache they’ve already been through, Renelle said there is still a long way to go as they try to get him back home.
‘We’re just holding up day by day, we’re keeping busy it’s keeping our minds occupied,’ she said. ‘But when all this is over is when it’s going to hit us.’
Renelle has organised a celebration of life event in memory of her beloved dad, who was known as Brando and who she said was popular ‘all over the UK’.
The music event will be held in Birmingham on May 17 and will help to raise money ‘to get him home and give him the send off he deserves’.
‘As long as we can get as much help as possible to cover all of this then it won’t be as much as a burden on Anna to get on with her life,’ she said, adding that she hopes it will mean her dad’s partner will, after everything, ‘be able to raise my sister and live a normal life.’