Woman’s Final Words Revealed After She Died from Eating Uncooked Morel Mushrooms in Sushi Roll

Donna Ventura, 64, spent days in intensive care before dying in April of last year

A Montana woman’s final words before she died after visiting a sushi restaurant have been revealed.

On April 17, 2023, Donna Ventura, 64, was struck with what her husband believed was food poisoning and went into cardiac arrest after consuming a sushi roll containing salmon and uncooked morel mushrooms at local dining spot Dave’s Sushi. She died 12 days later in the intensive care unit on April 29.

During her hospitalization at Bozeman Deaconess Regional Medical Center in Montana, Donna was left unable to speak. She communicated her last words to her family in handwritten messages, sharing that she was ready to go after being in too much pain, her husband Jon Ventura shared.

“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,' ” he told local outlet KBZK. “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.' ”

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Jon had been with his wife and some friends at Dave’s Sushi at the time of the incident as they met up for lunch.

“It was surreal to think that the simple act of eating lunch would end up putting her in the intensive care unit,” he recalled. Jon added that his wife had "the special roll" which included "uncooked morel mushrooms."

Donna fell seriously ill within an hour of eating the sushi roll, leaving her liver and kidneys damaged, KBZK reported.

“I called for an ambulance and in the hospital, she went into full cardiac arrest,” Jon told the outlet. “Her skin was tight, fluids were building up in her system — she was in enormous pain.”

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Donna’s trachea and esophagus were also damaged. Doctors wanted to put in a feeding tube, but she refused, despite her husband's protests.

“When you’re married for as long as I was, you can understand your partner’s body language and looks,” Jon said. “The third or fourth time I talked to her about it I got the look that said, ‘I’ve made my decision and I’m done, I’m not talking about this anymore.’ ”

A wrongful death lawsuit against Dave’s Sushi was recently filed by Jon, per The Independent. He aims to set up a scholarship in honor of his wife, whom he married in 1999 and met in 1987, at Montana State University should he receive damages.

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“I told my wife on her deathbed that I would hold those accountable for what they’ve done to her,” he said.

Donna’s illness and death came after two other people fell ill, with one dying as a result, after eating at Dave’s Sushi between March and April of 2023, according to the Gallatin County Health Department's records. An investigation was later opened where it was discovered the morel mushrooms sold at the restaurant were likely sourced from China.

In July 2023, health officials released a statement that suggested the morel mushrooms were responsible for the illnesses.

“Study results indicated that consuming morel mushrooms at the restaurant was strongly associated with developing [gastrointestinal] illness," the statement read, per The Montana Free Press. "Additionally, individuals who reported consuming a greater quantity of sushi containing morels were more likely to develop illness compared to those who reported consuming fewer pieces.”

Dave's Sushi owner Aaron Parker previously told The Montana Free Press that he was "blindsided" by the foodborne illness outbreak linked to his restaurant, and that he has been spreading the word about the potential toxicity of uncooked morel mushrooms to other chefs.

“That’s what is so scary about this, that some of the most trained, talented chefs in the country don’t know about these risks,” Parker said.  “Why I’m so passionate, and why we’ve cooperated with every single agency is that I don’t want this to happen again to any other family."

PEOPLE reached out to Dave's Sushi for comment about the Ventura family's lawsuit, but did not receive an immediate response.

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