British woman, 29, in coma after falling ill on hen trip in Benidorm
ArchiveFirst published July 4, 2025. It may not reflect later developments.
Poppy-mae Crutchley, a 29-year-old hospital cleaner from Worcester, England, fell critically ill shortly after getting a tattoo during a friend’s hen party in Benidorm, Spain, in late June 2025. Her family and friends said doctors were still trying to work out what caused it.
What happened in Benidorm
Crutchley had traveled to the Spanish resort for a friend’s hen do, the British term for a bachelorette party. It was her first girls’ holiday, according to her friend Jodie Odell, who set up a GoFundMe appeal for the family.
On the first day of the trip, Odell wrote, Crutchley spent time with friends, had “a couple of drinks” and got a tattoo on her wrist. She felt unwell immediately afterward and took herself to a hospital, where staff acted quickly because she had no oxygen in her body and fluid on her heart, Odell said.
Crutchley has been in a coma since Sunday, June 29, Worcester News reported. Her heart, kidneys and lungs were failing, according to the Mirror, and she was moved to another hospital in Spain that specializes in the care she needed.
An unclear cause
Her family and friends have not said what caused the illness, because, by their account, doctors did not yet know. Odell wrote that medical staff were unsure whether Crutchley had a bacterial infection, possibly from the tattoo, or whether her drink had been spiked.
Her father, Simon, wrote on social media: “All I can put it down to is a tattoo she had on her wrist two days before this picture.” He added: “Now she’s 29 but she’s still my little girl.”
No official medical explanation had been made public in the coverage reviewed for this article, and there is no confirmed link between the tattoo and her condition.
Family responds to online comments
As the story spread, some online commenters suggested Crutchley had been drinking heavily or had traveled without insurance. Her brother Kyle pushed back in a Facebook post reported by the Daily Mail and the Mirror.
“Poppy is covered by insurance and is getting amazing treatment,” he wrote, but added that the policy “does not cover all things” and that the family did not know whether the specialist hospital would bring hidden costs. He said the fundraiser was mainly meant to keep their mother and another sister, who had flown out to Spain, at Crutchley’s bedside. “Also alcohol has not been a factor in her illness,” he wrote.
The GoFundMe appeal set a target of £14,000. It had raised nearly £5,000 by July 3, according to the Mirror, and the page later showed £6,119 from more than 300 donations before donations were paused. Friends described Crutchley as “the life and soul of the room,” Worcester News reported.
What we don’t know
British news outlets reported on Crutchley’s condition in early July 2025. We could not find any later public update on whether she recovered or was brought home, or on what doctors ultimately concluded about the cause. This article will be updated if reliable new information becomes available.
Background: tattoos and infection risk
UK government guidance on tattooing and body piercing says that if they are not created properly, the person getting the work done faces health risks, which “include infections, in particular the risk of transmission of bloodborne viruses like hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV.”
The same guidance notes that the UK currently has no legal requirements for professional competence in tattooing and no nationally recognized or accredited training courses. Standards vary from country to country, so travelers considering a tattoo abroad may want to check that a studio uses sterile, single-use equipment and to seek medical help quickly if they feel unwell afterward.
Sources
- Mirror – July 3, 2025
- Worcester News – July 1, 2025
- Daily Mail – July 3, 2025
- Metro – July 4, 2025
- GoFundMe appeal by Jodie Odell
- GOV.UK: Tattooing and body piercing infection prevention
