Miraculous recovery! Here’s how one man survived a deadly mushroom poisoning
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We recently wrote about a devastating mushroom poisoning tragedy that struck the small community of Leongatha, Victoria.
What started as an innocent family lunch has ended in three tragic deaths—and one miraculous recovery.
Church pastor Ian Wilkinson, aged 70 and the sole survivor of the tragedy, and three other people had a meal at Erin Patterson’s home that resulted in their suspected death cap mushroom poisoning.
Ian Wilkinson’s wife, Heather Wilkinson, 66, Gail Patterson, 70, and Don Patterson, 70, all passed away from the poisoning.
The pastor was rushed to Austin Hospital in Melbourne, with initial reports revealing his condition to be 'critical but stable'.
After almost two months of treatment, Ian Wilkinson has finally been discharged from the hospital, much to the relief of his family.
Speaking about Ian’s recovery on behalf of the Wilkinson family, they said in a statement: 'This milestone marks a moment of immense relief and gratitude for Ian and the entire Wilkinson family.'
They went on to thank the various medical staff from Leongatha, Dandenon, and Austin hospitals for their 'unwavering dedication and exceptional care that played a pivotal role in Ian’s recovery'.
'The medical team’s expertise and compassion have been a source of comfort and hope throughout this journey,' the family added.
They also expressed appreciation towards their friends, family, colleagues, the Korumburra community, and the church for all their prayers and the support they gave during the pastor’s recovery.
'This collective kindness has been a pillar of strength for Ian and the family, reinforcing the sense of unity and compassion that defines our community.'
Furthermore, the Wilkinson family is requesting privacy as Ian 'continues his journey towards full recovery'.
'We understand the public interest in Ian’s recovery, but we urge everyone, including the media, to act with consideration and respect the family’s wishes,' the family concluded.
The police believe that the symptoms displayed by the dinner guests on the fateful day are consistent with being poisoned by death cap mushrooms—the deadliest mushrooms known to exist.
Erin Patterson (the daughter-in-law of the deceased Pattersons) was declared a suspect at the time as she had cooked the dinner that's now supposedly caused the deaths but has now been released without charge.
In her statement to the police, she revealed that the beef wellington was made with button mushrooms from a major supermarket and dried mushrooms bought from an Asian grocery store.
Erin claimed to have eaten a serving and had suffered bad stomach pains and diarrhoea soon after, which is in contrast to the reports of the detectives that Erin did not fall ill.
The Victoria police said that Erin’s statement was not one taken by officers. The police did not comment further or provide any updates on the investigation.
However, the police are reportedly 'very keen' to talk to Mr Wilkinson.
According to Dr Xanthe Mallet, Forensic Criminologist, Mr Wilkinson is 'the only one who attended that lunch to survive besides Erin, and he is going to be giving a full account to police as to what happened at that lunch.'
'Who ate what, the demeanours and conversations.'
She also added that the food dehydrator that was discovered by the police will be studied carefully as it may have been used by Erin to prepare the deadly meal.
'It’s that dehydrator that potentially cooked the death cap mushrooms that they need to get tested,' Dr Mallet added.
'That’s going to be critical in this case, and really, the crux is were the death cap mushrooms in that dehydrator or not?'
Members, what are your thoughts on the current development of this tragedy? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
What started as an innocent family lunch has ended in three tragic deaths—and one miraculous recovery.
Church pastor Ian Wilkinson, aged 70 and the sole survivor of the tragedy, and three other people had a meal at Erin Patterson’s home that resulted in their suspected death cap mushroom poisoning.
Ian Wilkinson’s wife, Heather Wilkinson, 66, Gail Patterson, 70, and Don Patterson, 70, all passed away from the poisoning.
Four people were victims of a suspected deathcap mushroom poisoning. Image source: Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria.
The pastor was rushed to Austin Hospital in Melbourne, with initial reports revealing his condition to be 'critical but stable'.
After almost two months of treatment, Ian Wilkinson has finally been discharged from the hospital, much to the relief of his family.
Speaking about Ian’s recovery on behalf of the Wilkinson family, they said in a statement: 'This milestone marks a moment of immense relief and gratitude for Ian and the entire Wilkinson family.'
They went on to thank the various medical staff from Leongatha, Dandenon, and Austin hospitals for their 'unwavering dedication and exceptional care that played a pivotal role in Ian’s recovery'.
'The medical team’s expertise and compassion have been a source of comfort and hope throughout this journey,' the family added.
Heather Wilkinson (right) and Ian Wilkinson (left) were two (out of the four) victims of a suspected deathcap mushroom poisoning. Image source: Facebook.
They also expressed appreciation towards their friends, family, colleagues, the Korumburra community, and the church for all their prayers and the support they gave during the pastor’s recovery.
'This collective kindness has been a pillar of strength for Ian and the family, reinforcing the sense of unity and compassion that defines our community.'
Furthermore, the Wilkinson family is requesting privacy as Ian 'continues his journey towards full recovery'.
'We understand the public interest in Ian’s recovery, but we urge everyone, including the media, to act with consideration and respect the family’s wishes,' the family concluded.
The police believe that the symptoms displayed by the dinner guests on the fateful day are consistent with being poisoned by death cap mushrooms—the deadliest mushrooms known to exist.
Erin Patterson (the daughter-in-law of the deceased Pattersons) was declared a suspect at the time as she had cooked the dinner that's now supposedly caused the deaths but has now been released without charge.
In her statement to the police, she revealed that the beef wellington was made with button mushrooms from a major supermarket and dried mushrooms bought from an Asian grocery store.
Erin claimed to have eaten a serving and had suffered bad stomach pains and diarrhoea soon after, which is in contrast to the reports of the detectives that Erin did not fall ill.
The Victoria police said that Erin’s statement was not one taken by officers. The police did not comment further or provide any updates on the investigation.
However, the police are reportedly 'very keen' to talk to Mr Wilkinson.
According to Dr Xanthe Mallet, Forensic Criminologist, Mr Wilkinson is 'the only one who attended that lunch to survive besides Erin, and he is going to be giving a full account to police as to what happened at that lunch.'
'Who ate what, the demeanours and conversations.'
She also added that the food dehydrator that was discovered by the police will be studied carefully as it may have been used by Erin to prepare the deadly meal.
'It’s that dehydrator that potentially cooked the death cap mushrooms that they need to get tested,' Dr Mallet added.
'That’s going to be critical in this case, and really, the crux is were the death cap mushrooms in that dehydrator or not?'
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