The family of 19-year-old Grace Schara, who died at an Appleton hospital in 2021, is seeking a new trial in their wrongful death lawsuit against Ascension, alleging the judge who oversaw the case had a personal bias against the family.
Grace Schara died Oct. 13, 2021, at Ascension NE Wisconsin-St. Elizabeth Hospital, seven days after she was admitted for symptoms of COVID-19. While her cause of death was listed as “acute respiratory failure with hypoxia as a result of COVID-19 pneumonia,” her father, Scott Schara, filed a lawsuit claiming Grace actually died of a lethal concoction of drugs administered to her by hospital staff, then was not saved due to a wrongful do-not-resuscitate order.
On June 19, after a 13-day trial, an Outagamie County jury ruled in Ascension’s favor, determining that the actions of the hospital, Dr. Gavin Shokar and registered nurse Hollee McInnis, both whom cared for Grace the final two days of her life, did not constitute a wrongful death, medical negligence or a violation of informed consent…