CHICAGO (June 10, 2025) – A Cook County jury has awarded $20,500,000 to the family of an 11-year-old girl in remission from leukemia who died due to morphine toxicity from medications prescribed by her healthcare providers.
On October 29, 2020, 11-year-old Ava Wilson was in remission from b-lymphoblastic leukemia and her outlook was positive. She had no detectable leukemia in her blood when she and her mother went to a follow-up appointment at the Cancer Center at Advocate Children’s Hospital. During that appointment, she was seen by Nurse Practitioner Lauren Kriedemann. During the appointment, Ms. Kriedemann performed a physical exam and noted that Ava was crying in pain, had difficulty walking and foot drop.
Lab tests revealed Ava had low platelet counts, low blood cell counts and high liver enzymes. Most importantly, however, was Ava persistently had low blood pressure throughout her stay at the clinic that was not rechecked prior to discharge.
Despite these concerning clinical signs, Ms. Kriedemann prescribed 15 mg of morphine to be taken every 4 hours as needed for pain. Prior to this appointment, all of Ava’s prior morphine prescriptions to be taken at home were for just 5 mg. Ms. Kriedemann also increased Ava’s gabapentin prescription and sent her home. When taken together, the medications can make each other stronger.
On the night of October 31, 2020, about 36 hours after leaving the clinic, Ava died in her sleep due to acute combined drug toxicity of morphine, hydroxyzine, and gabapentin. She was found to have lethal levels of morphine in her system at the time of her death.
“Instead of admitting Ava to the hospital to get her blood pressure, heart rate and pain levels within acceptable and normal limits, Advocate employees sent Ava home with an excessive pain medications,” lead trial attorney Matthew L. Williams said. “Ava’s body was yelling out to these clinicians, ‘help me!’, and they just ignored it.”
During a trial that began on May 29, 2025, before the Honorable Brendan A. O’Brien in Cook County Circuit Court, the defendants claimed Ava’s death was unforeseeable, the medication that was prescribed fell within the recommended range, and her presentation during her October 29 appointment was consistent with complications of leukemia.
Renowned forensic neuropathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu testified on behalf of the plaintiffs that Ava’s death was caused by the medication and not by some unknown cause, as suggested by the defense throughout the case.
On June 10, 2025, a Cook County jury awarded the family $20,500,000 for their past and future loss of society and past and future grief, sorrow and mental suffering.
“While nothing will ease the depth of Ava’s loved ones’ pain, the family appreciates that the jury recognized that Ava’s death was preventable and that she should still be with them today,” Plaintiff’s attorney Aaron D. Boeder said.
The Plaintiff was represented at trial by attorneys Matthew L. Williams, Aaron D. Boeder, Eirene N. Salvi and Marisa A. Gelabert of Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard, P.C.
The defendants were represented by Katherine L. Dzik, Scarlett Olson and Madeline Engledow of Hall Prangle LLC.
For more information, please contact Marcie Mangan at (312) 372-1227 or mmangan@salvilaw.com.
###
Case No.: 2022 L 007728 [The Estate of Ava Wilson v. Advocate Health and Hospitals Corporation, et al.]
