Tragedy of a Mother-of-Three: A Fatal Overdose During Recovery
Rachel Tussey, a mother of three and a popular TikTok influencer with over 80,000 followers, was excited to undergo a ‘mommy makeover’ in February. She documented her journey on social media, sharing a video from her surgery bed before she went under for nine hours.
In the video, Rachel expressed her excitement and gratitude, mentioning her husband’s presence and a strong support team. She also prayed for a successful outcome, believing she was in good hands. However, this belief was shattered when a tragic incident occurred during her recovery.
The Overdose and Its Consequences
According to a recent lawsuit filed by Rachel’s husband, Jeremy Tussey, the situation took a devastating turn. One of the nurses at JourneyLite surgery center in Cincinnati administered an overdose of opioids, including 150 micrograms of fentanyl and half a milligram of Dilaudid within 30 minutes of her surgery. This dosage was significantly higher than what she received during the nine-hour procedure, where she was given 100 micrograms of fentanyl and another half milligram of Dilaudid.
The overdose caused Rachel to lose oxygen flow to her brain for more than six minutes. Nurses allegedly failed to act urgently during this critical timeframe. After the nurses finally called 911 about nine minutes after she became unresponsive, Rachel was transported to Bethesda North Hospital, where staff determined she was brain dead.
She remained on a ventilator until March 7, when she was transferred to hospice care. Rachel passed away in hospice on March 17. The hospital’s staff ruled out any other potential cause of death, attributing it to an anoxic brain injury and acute respiratory failure caused by the overdose.
Accusations Against the Surgeon and Facility
About a month before Jeremy filed his lawsuit, Rachel’s surgeon, Dr. Shahryar Tork, also filed a lawsuit against JourneyLite and its staff. He accused them of negligence and causing his patient’s death. According to Dr. Tork, Rachel’s death was unnecessary and caused by a nurse recklessly overdosing her on narcotics and an anesthesiologist abandoning their patient.
‘This was not a tummy tuck complication; she would be home, I would see her smiling in my office, if other people had done their job right,’ Tork added. In a video posted from Bethesda North Hospital while Rachel was still hooked up to a ventilator, her husband echoed these concerns, stating that she was administered too much medicine.
Legal Actions and Allegations
JourneyLite, Associated Anesthesiologists of Springfield, facility administrators, and nurses listed as Jane Does were all named as defendants in Jeremy’s lawsuit. The civil complaint accused JourneyLite of being responsible for Rachel’s death through ‘systemic failures’ and ‘regulatory violations.’ The complaint also cited an email about ‘purging files’ sent by a JourneyLite employee on the day Rachel died.
Facility administrators even asked Tork to alter his operative notes twice, which he refused to do on both occasions, according to the lawsuit. In total, the lawsuit accused the defendants of medical negligence, negligent hiring and retention, spoliation of evidence, negligent infliction of emotional distress, and loss of consortium.
Jeremy is seeking compensation exceeding $25,000 per claim, as well as punitive damages and attorney fees. The lawsuit demanded a trial by jury. JourneyLite denied all of the accusations laid out in the lawsuit in a statement to the Daily Mail.
A Legacy of Compassion
In a GoFundMe set up to help Jeremy pay for medical expenses, Rachel was described as ‘an example of what community and compassion should look like.’ She dedicated countless hours helping others, including organizing donation efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, collecting supplies, and personally delivering essential items to those in need. When someone needed help, Rachel was always the first person to step forward.
