In a heart-wrenching incident, a Montana woman suffered a devastating and fatal poisoning after consuming poisonous mushrooms served at a local sushi restaurant. Donna Ventura, 64, tragically passed away after a harrowing battle with food poisoning that led to severe organ damage and excruciating pain.
Her husband, Jon Ventura, shared the painful details of her final days in an interview with KBZK, revealing the profound emotional and physical suffering she endured. The ordeal began last April when Donna, after eating a salmon roll that included morel mushrooms at Dave’s Sushi, quickly fell ill. Within just an hour of their meal, it was clear something was terribly wrong.
She was rushed to Bozeman Deaconess Regional Medical Center, where she was placed in the intensive care unit. Over the next two weeks, Donna fought for her life as the toxins from the mushrooms ravaged her liver and kidneys. As her condition worsened, Donna lost her ability to speak due to severe damage to her throat. In her last days, she communicated with her loved ones by writing messages with a red magic marker.
Her notes conveyed her despair and unbearable pain. Jon Ventura recounted some of her final words: “I’m not sure I can go on much longer, how are we going to manage, I can’t stand the pain.” Among her last written messages were declarations of love to her family, telling her husband and son, “I love you,” and to her son specifically, “I love you, Mr. C” reported The Mirror.
Donna Ventura’s death was not an isolated incident. She was one of two people who died following the meal at Dave’s Sushi, with the local Gallatin County Health Department’s investigation revealing that at least 51 others suffered from similar symptoms. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) later identified the morel mushrooms imported from China as the likely source of the outbreak.
While typically edible, morel mushrooms must be thoroughly cooked to neutralize any toxins—a precaution that was evidently overlooked at the sushi restaurant. Reflecting on the tragedy, Jon Ventura expressed disbelief over how a simple lunch could lead to such a catastrophic outcome. He described the physical changes in his wife as the illness progressed, noting her tight skin and the buildup of fluids in her system, all indicative of her failing organs.
Determined to seek justice, he filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the restaurant, which had briefly closed following the outbreak but reopened a month later. As the legal proceedings continue, Jon Ventura remains deeply concerned about the safety and health of others who might dine at the restaurant, citing multiple health code violations documented by the Gallatin County Health Department.
The case has drawn attention to the critical importance of food safety and the devastating impact of negligence in food preparation and sourcing. The community and Jon Ventura await responses from the restaurant’s legal representatives, hoping for accountability and measures to prevent such tragedies in the future.
