Donna Ventura fell seriously ill in 2023 after eating a sushi roll
A woman ended up losing her life after eating what seemed to be a harmless sushi roll.
Sushi is an extremely popular cuisine in the US, with nearly five million Americans reportedly eating it on a monthly basis.
And there are some health benefits to eating the traditional Japanese dish.
Abbie Gellman, MS, a registered dietitian and chef, told USA Today: “Because sushi contains lean protein, healthy fats and carbohydrates, it can be part of a healthy diet.
“But as with all foods and weight loss, portion size is important.”
Sushi can be healthy if it’s cooked correctly (Getty Stock Images)
Josh Redd, NMD, founder of RedRiver Health and Wellness, added that ‘the health benefits of sushi stem mainly from its fish and seaweed’.
But sushi, of course, has other ingredients away from fish and seaweed — mushrooms, for example.
Morel mushrooms were in a dish consumed by Donna Ventura in 2023 at local food establishment Dave’s Sushi, and it’s believed that this is what caused her to lose her life as they were undercooked.
Donna fell unwell within an hour of eating the sushi roll containing the mushrooms in question, and went into cardiac arrest.
She was rushed to Bozeman Deaconess Regional Medical Center in Montana for medical attention, with the 64-year-old left unable to speak, PEOPLE reported.
With this in mind, Donna had to say her final words to her family via handwritten note.
She tragically died 12 days after being admitted.
Speaking to local outlet KBZK, Donna’s husband Jon recalled: “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 continued: “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’.”
Jon went on to tell the news outlet that it was ‘surreal to think that the simple act of eating lunch would end up putting [Donna] in the intensive care unit’.
Donna Ventura died 12 days after consuming the sushi roll (KBZK Bozeman MT News)
It was reported in April 2024 that Jon has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Dave’s Sushi in the wake of Donna’s untimely passing.
“I told my wife on her deathbed that one of my jobs would be to hold those accountable for what they’ve done to her,” he explained of his decision to file the suit, said The Independant.
As well as Donna, another individual reportedly died from eating the undercooked mushrooms, as well as 50 others falling unwell.
Dave’s Sushi issued a statement back in May 2023 about its use of morel mushrooms.
Donna’s heartbreaking final note to her husband (KBZK Bozeman MT News)
Part of it read, as per Twitter: “The Gallatin City-County Health Department released a statement dated May 3, 2023, noting that they and other local, state, and federal agencies are continuing to investigate the foodborne illness outbreak and acknowledging that the investigation may be unable to identify a specific pathogen.
“However, as noted in the release, ‘Preliminary investigative findings indicate that food containing morel mushrooms may be the exposure of concern.’
“No matter that circumstances or the findings, our hearts go out the the loved ones of the who people who passed away and to all who have been impacted.”
As of September 2024, it’s thought that the exact toxin that made the individuals become sick was still unknown and investigations were ongoing, reported Food Poisoning News.
