St. Charles Health System is facing a $26.5 million wrongful death lawsuit from the estate of a Jacksonville, Oregon, woman who died of septic shock following a breast infection in 2017.

The family of Casey Gwenyth Galusha-Beck filed suit Dec. 24 in Deschutes County Circuit Court, naming two St. Charles doctors as co-defendants. The suit alleges that after Galusha-Beck’s infection was successfully treated, hospital staff missed obvious signs of adrenal insufficiency, which led to circulatory collapse and death.

“It just is a tragic case,” said Christopher Kuhlman, attorney for Galusha-Beck’s family. “She left behind a daughter and a son, and they’re going to have to go through life without a mother’s love and a mother’s guidance, and knowing who their mother is, essentially.”

St. Charles spokeswoman Lisa Goodman declined to discuss the lawsuit.

“We don’t comment on pending litigation,” she said.

Galusha-Beck, 32, was visiting her husband’s family in Sisters for New Year’s 2017 when she fell ill with mastitis, a breast infection associated with breastfeeding, according to a GoFundMe page established in her honor.

She was nauseated and vomiting when she was taken to the emergency room of St. Charles Bend. She had abdominal pain, fatigue, low blood pressure and low glucose, according to the lawsuit.

The suit names internal medicine specialists Dr. Farah K. Madhani-Lovely and Dr. Jason Hughson as defendants.

Madhani-Lovely assumed care of Galusha-Beck Jan. 3-5. The suit states Madhani-Lovely failed to diagnose Galusha-Beck with the “hallmark symptoms of cortisol deficiency,” or treat it with hydrocortisone.

Hughson assumed Galusha-Beck’s care Jan. 8.

In the early morning of Jan. 9, a cortisol-level test was performed on Galusha-Beck.

It came back with a cortisol level of zero, which represents an “adrenal crisis and is catastrophically dangerous.” Hughson was made aware of this but did not administer hydrocortisone and instead took a “wait and see approach,” the lawsuit states.

“The standard of care for every doctor and resident when treating an unstable patient with a dangerously low cortisol level is to immediately administer hydrocortisone and not to … delay,” the suit states.

Later that morning, Galusha-Beck had a circulatory collapse. She was found blue, without a pulse or breath. She was resuscitated but suffered severe brain damage and was diagnosed as being in a permanent vegetative state.

She died Jan. 17, leaving behind a 3-year-old daughter and a 1-year-old son. Her husband, Jordan Beck, owns Ashland grease collection and biodiesel retailer Rogue Biofuels.