Michael Graley, 76, died suddenly after complaining about cramp in his leg while with his family in Cyprus – and his devastated wife has told of the horror that followed
A woman has described the ‘horrible’ moment when she discovered her late husband’s body had been repatriated to the UK without his heart. Michael Graley, 76, tragically died after experiencing leg cramp during a family holiday in Cyprus.
The retired cemetery superintendent, who was holidaying with his wife Yvonne, 73, and their family, passed away just 10 minutes after being admitted to a hospital in Paralimni.
Yvonne, from Oldham in Greater Manchester, was informed that a post-mortem had been carried out, but upon his body’s arrival in the UK, officials noted that no cause of death was specified on the certificate. This necessitated a second post-mortem by the coroner’s office in Rochdale.
“They said someone had removed Michael’s heart and so they cannot determine a cause of death. I was so shocked. It was horrible,” said Yvonne, quoted by the Mirror.
Cypriot authorities stated that Michael’s heart had been dispatched to a research facility. His daughter, Hayley, 47, expressed their frustration, saying: “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.
Nevertheless, it remained uncertain which organs had been removed and whether they had subsequently been analysed, or where any findings might be located.
The heart is frequently extracted during post-mortem examinations to assess for indicators of cardiac disease. Extracting the heart enables the pathologist to scrutinise all its exterior and interior components, including the chambers, valves, and principal blood vessels.
The heart undergoes weighing and measuring to compare its dimensions against typical ranges for an individual’s build, age, and sex.
An expanded heart (cardiomegaly or hypertrophy) may signal underlying ailments such as high blood pressure or other illnesses that could have played a role in the death.
In 2024, the relatives of Kaydell Brown, 38, were similarly left devastated after she passed away following a ‘Mummy MOT’ and was subsequently repatriated without certain organs, including portions of her heart.
The mother-of-two from Sheffield died after undergoing an abdominoplasty, liposuction and a Brazilian bum lift in Turkey.
When Kaydell was finally examined in the UK, further heartbreaking revelations emerged – substantial sections 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?”.
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