Tragedy as much-loved Birmingham dad dies after freak accident on holiday in Turkey

A much-loved Birmingham dad left in a coma following a freak holiday accident has died, his devastated family have confirmed. Marlon McCormack, 51, suffered a brain bleed after falling while using gym equipment at his hotel in Turkey on a last-minute holiday with his family.

The father-of-two, from Chelmsley Wood, died in the early hours of May 5 after being placed in an induced coma as doctors battled to save his life. Tragically, he died just minutes before his two daughters were allowed to see him at his bedside, the Daily Mail reports.

Marlon’s two daughters, Renelle McCormack, 27, and her 16-year-old sister, were flown to the Alanya resort after doctors told them he had just “24 hours to live” after what organs have given way. It was reported that when they were finally allowed into their father’s room, they were told that he had died 30 minutes earlier.

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More than £26,000 has been raised online for the Birmingham family. Cherry Ryan, who organized the fundraiser, said the money would be used to bring Marlon’s body home and pay outstanding medical bills.

The Daily Mail reported that the family’s hospital bill was £23,000 – which was covered by members of the public. Cherry said on Marlon’s GoFundMe page: “Thank you so much for your support and help, we couldn’t do it without you.”

In an update posted before his death, Cherry said: “He’s amazing with kids. He loves his mother and would do anything for her, he has lots of friends! He is a hard worker who grows when people sleep, works. all day, then go straight to helping a friend or family in need before resting.

“He will literally help anyone in need, accept anyone for who they are, make strangers disappear. He is so forgiving and such a giving person.”

Marlon was enjoying an outing with his two daughters and fiancee Anna Ryan before suffering the accident at his resort’s gym. He woke up with “no feeling on one side of his body” and was rushed to hospital and placed in an induced coma.

After receiving more than a week of critical care and undergoing surgery that failed to remove all the blood from his brain, his family racked up a huge debt of around £30,000. Renelle told the Daily Mail: “We got the news that he had 24 hours left and that his organs were needed, so me and my sister got on the next flight to say goodbye. We arrived in the early hours and went to the hotel we went to. I’m sleeping. The hotel was 30 seconds from the hospital, so I went straight there.

“We got there and they told us to sit in the waiting area, so we sat there for half an hour before boarding. The surgeon met us outside the ICU as he usually did to give us an update. There was no update. The update was that he died 30 minutes ago.

Renelle held a celebration of life in memory of her beloved father. The event will take place in Birmingham on May 17 and will help raise money “to get him home and give him the leave he deserves”.