The family of 11-year-old Ava Wilson, who had beaten cancer only to die from a prescription drug overdose, is suing Advocate Children’s Hospital in Park Ridge, Illinois. The tragic incident, which occurred after a follow-up appointment in October 2020, has led to a lawsuit alleging negligence by the hospital staff for sending Ava home with a dangerous combination of pain medications.
Ava’s Symptoms and Hospital Visit
Ava Wilson was in remission for b-lymphoblastic leukemia when she went to her scheduled check-up at Advocate Children’s Hospital on October 29, 2020. At the time, she was in significant pain, crying and struggling to walk. According to her family’s attorney, tests revealed that Ava had troubling health issues, including low platelet counts, low blood cell counts, and high liver enzymes. Additionally, she was experiencing low blood pressure.
Instead of admitting Ava for further observation, the medical staff at Advocate Children’s Hospital decided to send her home with an increased dosage of morphine and gabapentin, two prescription pain medications. Ava was prescribed 100 mg of gabapentin three times a day and 15 mg of morphine every four hours, a notable increase from what she had been previously taking.
Ava’s Death and the Cause of Death
Just two days after this appointment, on the night of October 31, 2020, Ava tragically passed away in her sleep. Tests conducted after her death revealed lethal levels of morphine in her blood, leading to suspicions that the medications prescribed to her were responsible for her death.
The Wilsons’ legal team, from the law firm Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C., argued that the hospital staff failed to properly assess Ava’s symptoms and instead sent her home with excessive painkillers. The attorneys pointed out that the combination of the prescribed medications could potentially amplify each other’s effects, increasing the risk of overdose.
Hospital’s Defense and Legal Proceedings
Advocate Children’s Hospital’s defense team argued that Ava’s symptoms were consistent with complications from leukemia, and that the prescribed medication doses were within the recommended ranges. The hospital also claimed that the treatment plan was endorsed by Ava’s regular oncologist, though the oncologist did not attend the final appointment in person.
However, during the trial, a forensic neuropathologist testified that Ava’s death was a direct result of the excessive amounts and combination of morphine, gabapentin, and hydroxyzine in her system. This testimony supported the Wilsons’ claim that Ava’s death was caused by “acute combined drug toxicity.”
The Jury’s Verdict and Compensation
After a trial that began on May 29, 2023, a jury sided with the Wilson family on June 10, 2023. The jury found that Ava’s death was preventable and awarded the surviving family members $20.5 million for the pain and suffering they endured, as well as the emotional distress caused by their loss. Lead trial attorney Matthew L. Williams stated that the family appreciated the jury’s recognition that Ava’s death could have been avoided.
Hospital’s Response
Advocate Health and Hospitals Corporation, which oversees Advocate Children’s Hospital, issued a statement expressing sympathy for the family. However, due to patient privacy laws, the hospital declined to provide further comment on the case. The Wilson family’s legal team has made it clear that while nothing can bring Ava back, they are grateful that the jury acknowledged the preventable nature of her death.
The heartbreaking case of Ava Wilson highlights the dangers of over-prescribing medications and the potential consequences when medical staff fail to properly monitor patients’ conditions. While the jury’s decision brings some sense of justice to Ava’s grieving family, the case serves as a reminder of the importance of proper medical care, especially for vulnerable patients recovering from serious illnesses like cancer.
