deleted family photos because of Time Machine backup :(

Hi everyone So this might make me sound really stupid (in this case I am) but I’ve accidentally deleted all of my family’s photos over the past 10 years 😔

My sisters MacBook Air wasn’t working properly anymore since she hadn’t updated it since 2020. Apple recommended updating the laptop (obviously) but saving a Time Machine backup because it might lose some files due to it being such a big update. I started doing the backup on a big usb stick with family photos on it before realising that it would deleted the photos (and when I finally realised I started crying)

It has unfortunately been completely turned into a backup disk now and there’s no photos on it (at least not that I can see). Apple has recommended getting in touch with file recovery companies as they may be able to get the photos back.

Now this is where I want to ask, does anyone have any experience with this or am I the only idiot in the world that has done this? And does anyone know some good companies that won’t break the bank?

Thank you for your help. I am so so so upset and I feel horrible. I should have listened to my mum from the start, I regret so much that I didn’t. Now I want to try to do everything I can to get those photos back :(

EDIT: apple recommended contacting a data recovery company called drivesavers. i called them and their usual quotes are somewhere between £900 to £1900. that is a lot of money, but i will pay anything to get those photos back. unfortunaely i dont have the money right now so i will have to wait a few years in order to save the money, but does anyone know anything about the company? are they good at what they do? and do you think they could restore the files?