Mum scrawled harrowing note before dying from poisoned sushi

The widow of a woman who suffered a horrific, prolonged death following an ill-fated meal at a sushi restaurant has shared her harrowing final words.

Donna Ventura, 64, fell dangerously ill within an hour of eating a salmon and mushroom sushi roll at the Montana restaurant, Dave’s Sushi, in April last year, KBZKreported.

Speaking to the local news network her husband Jon, explained: “She had the special roll with what we now know [were] uncooked morel mushrooms.”

He said that he called for an ambulance as soon as it became clear that Donna wasn’t well and, as soon as she reached the hospital, she went into “full cardiac arrest.”

The 64-year-old mum spent 12 days fighting for her life in intensive care as the toxins from the mushrooms destroyed her kidneys and liver and damaged her oesophagus and windpipe, Jon said.

This meant that not only did Donna have to endure unimaginable pain, but she also lost the ability to speak, causing her deep frustration.

Donna went from being a healthy 64-year-old to fighting for her life(Family handout/KBZK)

By the end, her only means of communication were using paper and a red magic marker, on which she scrawled notes to her doctors and loved ones.

“Some of the messages she wrote were: 'I’m not sure I can go on much longer, how are we going to manage, I can’t stand the pain,’'” Jon recounted.

“The last couple she wrote were to me and our son where she wrote, I love you, and to our son, she wrote, 'I love you, Mr. C.'”

Donna died on April 29, 2023.

Donna's writing was barely legible by the end(Family handout/KBZK)

She was one of two people who died after contracting a gastrointestinal illness after dining at the sushi restaurant a year ago, a probe by the local Gallatin County Health Department found.

At least 51 people fell ill, according to the New York Post.

The investigation concluded that morel mushrooms imported from China were the likely source of the outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention confirmed.

And while morel mushrooms are generally considered edible, the CDC stresses that they must be fully cooked to prevent potential toxic effects.

“It was surreal to think that the simple act of eating lunch would end up putting her in the intensive care unit,” Jon said.

Morel mushrooms must be cooked through before they can be safely eaten(iStock)

He added that he vowed on his wife’s deathbed to “hold those accountable for what they’ve done to her.”

And so he has now launched a lawsuit against the restaurant for wrongful death.

The sushi restaurant shut down briefly following the outbreak but reopened the following month.

“I worry greatly about the people who eat at Dave’s Sushi,” Jon said.

“If you look at the records available through the Gallatin County Health Department, they’ve had multiple health code violations.”

He went on: “They’ve avoided all responsibility for the pain and suffering they’ve caused not only me and my son, but every person affected by their atrocious behaviour.”

He added that he now hopes to establish a scholarship at Montana State University in Donna’s name.

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