Donna Ventura, 64, fell seriously ill just one hour after dining at Dave’s Sushi, a sushi restaurant in Montana.

During her visit in April 2023, Donna consumed a sushi roll containing salmon and morel mushrooms.

While morels are commonly used in cooking and generally considered safe to eat, they can pose a risk if not adequately cooked and should not be consumed raw.

Despite enjoying lunch with her husband Jon Ventura and friends, Donna fell ill shortly after consuming the roll, believed to contain undercooked morels.

She was among 51 individuals who became sick after ingesting the mushrooms at the restaurant.

Tragically, Donna’s condition worsened after being admitted to the hospital.

She passed away on April 29, leaving behind a heartbreaking final message to her family, written with a red magic marker.

Among her last words to her husband 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 Donna’s final messages, including “I love you” to him and their son, stating, “It was surreal to think that the simple act of eating lunch would end up putting her in the intensive care unit.”

The grieving husband explained how the toxins from the uncooked morel mushrooms caused severe damage to Donna’s kidneys, liver, esophagus, and trachea.

Jon has since filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Dave’s Sushi, one of two lawsuits filed, as another diner, 74-year-old William Lewis, also passed away.

The Center for Disease Control’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report investigated the incident, linking morels to a series of food poisonings affecting 51 people, including Donna and William.

The report stated: “Consumption of morel mushrooms, which are generally considered edible, was strongly associated with gastrointestinal illness.”

Jon expressed his determination to hold those responsible, stating, “I told my wife on her deathbed that I would hold those accountable for what they’ve done to her,” and adding, “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 behavior.”