Girl Dies From Morphine After Leukemia Remission
- An Illinois jury has awarded $20.5 million to the family of Ava Wilson, an 11-year-old girl who died in 2020.
- Ava Wilson's attorneys at salvi, Schostok and Pritchard P.C., stated that Ava died in her sleep Oct.
- according to the attorneys, Ava was discharged from a clinic 36 hours before her death.
A jury has delivered a $20.5 million verdict too the family of 11-year-old Ava Wilson, who tragically died after surviving leukemia. The lawsuit pinpointed an excessive morphine prescription as the cause of death. The article details how the young girl, in remission from cancer, succumbed to acute drug toxicity. Her attorneys argued that the post-remission care, including the morphine dosage, was a critical factor in her passing. Learn about the allegations against advocate Health and Hospitals Corporation. For trusted news, News Directory 3 has the story.Dig deeper into the specifics of the case and the legal implications. Discover what’s next …
Jury Awards $20.5M in Morphine Overdose death of Girl, 11
Updated June 18, 2025
An Illinois jury has awarded $20.5 million to the family of Ava Wilson, an 11-year-old girl who died in 2020. The lawsuit against Advocate Health and Hospitals Corporation alleged that an excessive morphine prescription led to her death after she had survived cancer.
Ava Wilson’s attorneys at salvi, Schostok and Pritchard P.C., stated that Ava died in her sleep Oct. 31, 2020, from “acute combined drug toxicity of morphine, hydroxyzine and gabapentin.” The lawsuit claimed lethal levels of morphine were in her system.
according to the attorneys, Ava was discharged from a clinic 36 hours before her death. While at the clinic, she was reportedly in pain and had difficulty walking.
Tests revealed low platelet and blood cell counts, elevated liver enzymes, and low blood pressure. The lawsuit further alleges that her blood pressure was not rechecked before her discharge.
Matthew L. Williams, the lead trial attorney, said that instead of admitting Ava to the hospital to stabilize her, Advocate employees sent her home with excessive pain medications. “Ava’s body was yelling out to these clinicians, ‘help me!’, and they just ignored it,” Williams said in a release.
A nurse practitioner prescribed 100 mg of gabapentin three times a day and 15 mg of morphine every four hours as needed. The child’s oncologist endorsed the prescription without examining her, according to the civil complaint.
The law firm stated that Ava’s prior morphine prescriptions were for onyl 5 mg. The increased gabapentin prescription, combined with morphine, created a risky combination.
Advocate Health And Hospitals Corporation said in a statement that their “hearts go out to this family” and that they are “committed to providing appropriate care to every patient,” but could not comment further due to patient privacy.
Ava had been in remission from B-lymphoblastic leukemia with a positive outlook and no detectable leukemia in her blood, according to her attorneys.
What’s next
It is indeed not immediately clear if Advocate Health plans to appeal the jury’s decision. Further legal proceedings may follow.