A dad died during a holiday to Cyprus just ten minutes after getting to hospital. His widow has now told of her ‘shock’ after his body was returned to the UK with his heart missing.
A widow was left in ‘shock’ after she was told her husband – who died on holiday – had been returned to the UK without his heart.
Michael Graley, 76, died suddenly after complaining about cramp in his leg while with his family in Cyprus.
The retired cemetery superintendent, who was on the island with wife Yvonne, 73, and their family, died just 10 minutes after arriving at a hospital in Paralimni.
Yvonne, from Oldham, Greater Manchester told the Sun: “The doctor came out of the room and said, ‘He’s dead’.”
She was told a pathologist had conducted a post-mortem but when his body was flown to the UK, officials noticed no cause of death was given on the certificate.
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It meant a second post-mortem was required by the coroner’s office in Rochdale. She added: “They said someone had removed Michael’s heart and so they cannot determine a cause of death. I was so shocked. It was horrible.”
Cypriot police said Michael’s heart was sent to a research facility. His daughter, Hayley, 47, said: “We’re so angry and need answers.”
Rochdale Coroners Office said its investigation was ongoing. The Cyprus Mail later reported the police told them the post mortem examination was carried out on August 18, 2025.
As part of the examination, some of the 76-year-old’s vital organs were removed and sent to a laboratory for further toxicological and histopathological analysis, which is the study of his cells under a microscope.
However, it is was unclear which organs were taken and whether they have since been examined and where any results are. The heart is often removed during autopsy to check for signs of heart disease.
Removing the heart allows the pathologist to examine all its external and internal structures, including chambers, valves, and major blood vessels.
The heart is weighed and measured to compare its size and dimensions to normal ranges for a person’s size, age, and gender.
An enlarged heart (cardiomegaly or hypertrophy) can indicate underlying conditions like hypertension or other diseases that may have contributed to death.
In 2024 the family of Kaydell Brown, 38, were also left traumatised after she died following a ‘Mummy MOT’ and was then repatriated with organs including part of her heart missing.
The mum-of-two from Sheffield died after having a tummy tuck, liposuction and a Brazilian butt lift in Turkey.
When Kaydell was eventually examined in the UK, more devastating news was to come, large parts of her brain, lungs and heart were missing.
“When they returned her body, they kept pieces of her heart and her intestines and that could show the cause of death, but we might not know because they’re not very cooperative,” said her sister Leanne.
“They sent a death certificate saying no cause of death, how can they not find anything?”
