My son nearly died when 'Egypt belly' turned out to be E.Coli: British family's urgent warning after ten-year-old's stomach bug ended in kidney failure 

Published: 00:02, 24 July 2026 | Updated: 00:02, 24 July 2026 A British child was left fighting for his life after contracting E-Coli on an all-inclusive holiday in Egypt.  Caroline Lawton, from Warrington, Cheshire, jetted off last month to Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt with her husband and children for 12 nights in the sun. But the day before they were due to fly home from their package holiday, she said her son Jude, 10, developed an upset stomach. At first, the mother-of-two believed he was suffering with 'Egypt belly', a common condition picked up in the foreign country by consuming contaminated food or water. But when he began to pass fresh blood in his stools, Ms Lawton panicked and booked a GP appointment. Jude's condition had rapidly deteriorated and he was admitted to hospital, placed in a seclusion room and later tested positive for STEC E.coli - a bacterial infection that causes bloody diarrhoea, stomach cramps and fever. The disease can be treated with antibiotics, but in severe cases complications can lead to kidney failure and even death.   Doctors confirmed Jude's infection had developed into the potentially fatal haemolytic uremic syndrome, which is when small blood vessels become damaged and inflamed.  The mother-of-two believed her son Jude (pictured) was suffering with 'Egypt belly' - a common condition picked up in the foreign country by consuming contaminated food or water - before doctors diagnosed him with kidney failure Jude had to be hospitalised after passing fresh blood in his stools Caroline Lawton (pictured, centre) jetted off last month to Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt with her husband and children for 12 nights in the sun This can cause clots to form which can damage the kidneys and other organs. The 10-year-old was rushed to Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool, where he began dialysis treatment and underwent a blood transfusion to try and get his kidneys to work again after they failed. After two weeks of treatment, Jude's kidney function slowly began to improve and he was discharged to continue his recovery at home. Ms Lawton says Jude only ate outside of the hotel, booked through EasyJet, once during the 12-day trip. She said: 'He had loose stools but genuinely nothing concerning, we thought he had just got a little bit of "Egypt belly". 'We were due to fly home and he was going to the toilet a little more often and didn't want to go in the pool. 'My concern mainly started when we got to the airport. He started being tired, didn't want to walk and was back and forth to the toilet. 'It was on the plane that I first noticed the fresh blood in his stool and I did start to panic. 'He started shaking and he was freezing cold, the air staff increased the temperature on the whole aircraft to try and warm him up. '[In hospital], he started to puff up and he was swollen, he couldn't even open his eyes properly. 'The renal consultant came to chat to us and this is when we began to realise the severity of the situation that his kidney function was quickly declining. After two weeks of treatment, Jude's kidney function slowly began to improve Jude as left fighting for his life after contracting E-Coli on an all-inclusive holiday in Egypt The 10-year-old was rushed to Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool, where he began dialysis treatment and underwent a blood transfusion to try and get his kidneys to work again 'At this point he hadn't had a wee for 24 hours. It was so scary and at this point he still hadn't eaten anything. 'As soon as he woke up and came around from surgery, he was wheeled straight into dialysis as at this point his kidneys had completely failed. 'He last had dialysis on June 22nd and this is when we started to see the changes. 'A couple of days later the doctor said his kidneys were starting to stir and wake up. Each day his blood continued to improve slightly and was going for a wee more.' The long-term effects of complications from E.coli can put you at increased risk of chronic high blood pressure and heart attacks. Jude will be closely monitored for the next five years. As the young boy continues to recover at home, his mother is raising awareness about what her son has been through to stop it from happening to any other families. Ms Lawton said: 'First of all, go with your gut. If you notice blood in a stool or they stop passing urine or start swelling in their ankles or eyes, you should get this checked out. 'I didn't share the story until Jude was home. I was in too bad of a situation and I was concerned I was going to lose my little boy. 'Jude is doing well but he's still not out of the woods and we've got a long road ahead of us. 'I wanted to spread awareness to stop any other families going through this as it's been very traumatic.' Ms Lawton jetted off last month to Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt with her husband Ross, 43, (centre) daughter Lola, 14, (left) and Jude Caroline Lawton, from Warrington, Cheshire, pictured with her son Jude, 10, in hospital after he picked up the potentially fatal disease Since returning home, Caroline says she has reached out to EasyJet and the hotel about Jude falling ill. She claims she's yet to hear back from the hotel, but EasyJet and WHO have been in touch to investigate. Ms Lawton said: 'At the moment, we're no further on with where it came from, I don't have a clue how Jude contracted it. 'We booked through EasyJet and the World Health Organisation have been in contact with me. 'EasyJet are investigating and they have contacted me to check in and see how Jude is and they've been really good.' An easyJet holidays spokesperson said: 'We're really sorry that Jude has been unwell. 'We have been in regular contact with Jude's family and are continuing to offer them any support and assistance they need. 'We are working closely with our hotel partner to carry out a thorough investigation into what happened.' The WHO has been contacted for comment.