James Showmaker, 57, who had Prader-Willi Syndrome, died after a preventable incident at a Missouri residential facility.
According to a lawsuit filed by his siblings against the organization Easterseals Midwest, a caregiver left James alone while he was eating a hamburger, ignoring vital supervision protocols. Because of his condition, which prevented him from feeling full and made him prone to choking, James required constant assistance to eat at a safe pace.
The court filing states that the staff did not follow the mandatory care plan, leading to fatal suffocation, after which James suffered irreversible brain damage. The family is seeking justice over what they consider a pattern of negligence at the facility.
