A young holidaymaker was left needing treatment for sepsis after a family holiday to a four-star resort in Egypt. 

Lawrence Pahollaria was also diagnosed with Salmonella Heidelberg after visiting Sindbad Aqua Park Hotel in Hurghada with tour operator Easy Jet.

His family suffered from gastric symptoms while they were on holiday, but after returning home to north London - Lawrence started vomiting and had diarrhoea. 

The 12-year-old became so ill he was taken to A&E following a GP consultation, and was then diagnosed with sepsis and salmonella. 

Lawrence was given intravenous antibiotics and fluids and spent five days back and forth to hospital, with one overnight stay.

His mum Trudi Law said finding out that Lawrence had been diagnosed with sepsis after the holiday left her "absolutely terrified".

The 54-year-old said: "It was clear pretty quickly that Lawrence was far more than just a tummy bug. 

"It was so frightening, but we realised we had to get him to a hospital.

"We knew Lawrence was poorly but we were absolutely terrified when we were told he had sepsis. 

"I was frantic and was struggling not to assume the very worst."

"We're all just grateful we came out of this in one piece and given what happened to Lawrence, we know we're lucky and it could have been worse."

Lawrence was diagnosed with sepsis and salmonella after his holiday (Image: Irwin Mitchell / SWNS)

Lawrence arrived at the resort on July 20 2023 with mum Trudi, dad Fatmir and sister Florianna, 13, for a two-week holiday.

But on day four of the stay, Florianna and Trudi started to become unwell with with vomiting, stomach pains and diarrhoea.

Trudi went to the medical centre and was prescribed antibiotics for herself and also given anti-diarrhoea medication and rehydration salts for her and Florianna.

Fatmir, an electrician, then also developed symptoms of gastric illness.

Mum-of-two Trudi said: "We'd all been so looking forward to this holiday. 

"When Florianna and I became ill it was awful. 

"It's never nice to see your children ill and it was hard to care for her when you're sick yourself. 

"It seemed as though the staff at reception did not care, they just directed me to the onsite private doctor."

Trudi says that when the family first arrived at the hotel, they had to move rooms because their "original one was unclean".

The administrator now wishes she had "insisted on moving to another hotel".

The hotel where Lawrence stayed whilst on holiday in Egypt (Image: Irwin Mitchell / SWNS)

Trudi said: "We weren't happy with the state of the hotel from the start. 

"Our original room was unclean, so we insisted we be moved. 

"The next room was hardly better, and we should have known then to trust our first impressions and insist on moving to another hotel. 

"The hygiene standards were very poor. 

"That's not a mistake I'll make again.

"This isn't the sort of experience you expect when you save up for a family holiday. 

"We feel we deserve answers after what happened to us, to avoid any other person developing sepsis."

Trudi has now instructed lawyers at law firm Irwin Mitchell to investigate the family's illness.

Sarita Sharma, a specialist international serious injury lawyer, said: "The account we've heard from Trudi concerning the holiday and Lawrence's ongoing illness is very concerning.

"The impact of gastric illness should never be downplayed. 

"What has happened to Lawrence vividly highlights how dangerous it can be and how it can lead to life-threatening complications like sepsis.

"We're now investigating the family's concerns. 

"While nothing can make up for their ordeal we're at last determined to provide them with the answers they deserve and the ongoing support Lawrence requires.

"If during the course of our investigation any issues are identified, it's vital that lessons are learned to improve standards for future holidaymakers.

"If you also stayed at this hotel and are able to help us with our enquiries we would like to hear from you."

An EasyJet spokesperson said: "The health and safety of all customers is our priority, which is why we ensure all of the hotels we offer meet our high health and safety standards. 

"As this case is now a legal matter, we're unable to comment further."