Massachusetts doctors save mother, son who nearly died after eating ‘death cap’ mushrooms

A Massachusetts mother and her son are recovering from a near-death experience after they both ingested highly toxic “death cap” mushrooms they foraged for dinner.

Amherst woman Kam Look, 63, and son Kai Chen, 27, were outside gathering mushrooms similar to ones they would find in Malaysia to cook with, UMass Memorial Medical Center said in a news release.

Both started feeling sick during dinner and were reportedly able to drive themselves to Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton. 

At the hospital, medical professionals realized the two were going to require a high level of intervention and transported them to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester.

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According to Boston 25 News, the mom and the son were experiencing “severe, life-threatening” liver damage from the incident. The hospital said the death rate for the type of liver injury the two sustained is between 30% to 50%. 

A toxicology expert reportedly identified the mushroom poisoning and wasted no time in having an investigational new drug flown in from Philadelphia. Toxicology experts from across the U.S. then consulted with UMass employees and gave advice on how to save the pair.

A few days later, Chen improved enough to be released from the hospital, but Look needed a “more dramatic intervention” and was placed on the transplant list in search of a new liver.

Within days, Look was matched to a liver and a “high-stakes” surgery was performed.

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After the surgery, Look remained intubated in the ICU where she was monitored by transplant caregivers who worked to keep her stable. She eventually moved to an acute care floor and then a rehab facility before getting approval to return home.

Look, Chen and the clinical team are scheduled to meet at the hospital Thursday to share a “major message” of caution about mushrooms.

UMass health officials said the mushroom poisoning is part of a larger concerning trend where people scour the Internet for mushrooms, and identify them not only to eat but for a psychedelic experience.