The tragic death of Karen McGonigal, a 53-year-old woman from Salford in Greater Manchester, has prompted her daughters to issue a heartfelt plea, urging others to avoid using fake 'skinny jabs' or black market weight-loss injections. Ms McGonigal was illegally administered an unlicensed drug in May, with devastating consequences.

In the months leading up to her death, Ms McGonigal had been struggling with her mental health and was 'desperate' to lose weight to regain her confidence after the end of a long-term relationship. Friends suggested she could purchase medication at a local salon, leading her to contact a beautician who offered the injections for £20 each.

Ms McGonigal visited the beauty centre multiple times for what she believed were Mounjaro injections. However, it was later revealed she was administered semaglutide, not tirzepatide (the drug known by the brand name Mounjaro). Her youngest daughter, Ffion, recounted to ITV News how the beautician would pause other work, take her mother into a back room, and inject her with a syringe. Ffion, 25, described the process as lacking any preparation or cleaning, with her mother being in and out in approximately three minutes.

While Ms McGonigal initially began to lose weight, just four days after her last injection, she suddenly became severely unwell. She experienced 'agony' with extreme stomach pains and struggled significantly to breathe. Ffion called an ambulance after witnessing her mother's face turn 'purple'. Tragically, Ms McGonigal never regained consciousness. After two days in intensive care, doctors informed her three daughters that there was nothing more that could be done, and her life support was subsequently turned off.

Her daughter, Abbie, shared the emotional final moments: 'We were around her, kissing and hugging her. We were singing.' She added that all of Karen's friends were present to say their last goodbyes. Ffion, who was still living with her mother, had recently discovered she was pregnant with her first child. She expressed her profound grief, stating, 'I'm devastated and heartbroken that she's not here to meet my baby.'

Ms McGonigal's daughters lovingly described their mother as 'kind,' 'loving,' and possessing the 'biggest heart.' Through their grief, they are determined to prevent similar tragedies. Abbie believes more needs to be done to stop those who administer these dangerous jabs, noting, 'There's so many people doing it, there's so many people selling it, these people are getting away with destroying people's lives.'

Ffion emphasized her desperate plea, saying she would 'beg on hands knees' for others not to proceed with such injections. Abbie reinforced this sentiment, stating that she and her sister would 'feel they've done another' if their warning managed to save even one person. She issued a stark caution to anyone considering the 'cheaper option,' warning: 'The outcome is devastating. It's heartbreaking and it's really, really not worth it.'

In response to this harrowing case, Greater Manchester Police have arrested one person on suspicion of manslaughter and another on suspicion of supplying a controlled substance. Andy Morling, MHRA Deputy Director of Criminal Enforcement, extended his thoughts to Karen McGonigal's family and reiterated the agency's commitment to using its full enforcement powers against those who endanger public health. Health Secretary Wes Streeting also pledged to 'take every action we can to clamp down on the availability of these sorts of drugs on the black market,' emphasizing the importance of learning from this 'absolutely shocking case.'