During the time that she was already grieving the loss of her mother, a woman from Alabama received a distressing phone call from the funeral home informing her about the condition of her father. Her mother passed away at the hospital, and she is now suing the facility.
In December of 2023, Toilicia Williams’ mother, Charlene Williams, passed away due to heart failure.
Charlene Williams was 58 years old at the time of her death. Small’s Mortuary phoned the grieving daughter to inform her that she needed to come down to see what they saw, which was her mother in an advanced condition of decomposition.
She agreed to have her mother’s body released to them, and they called her to let her know that everything was well. The family was “unable to have a fully open-casket funeral service” because the body of Charlene Williams was in such poor condition, as stated in the case that was filed in Mobile County.
When Springhill Medical Center was accused of storing Charlene Williams’ body in what they claimed was a “inadequately refrigerated room for 1 day, 14 hours, and 22 minutes,” the complaint accused the facility of being negligent and wanton.
Varner stated that Springhill Medical Center did not have a real morgue, but rather a chilling chamber to store the bodies of the deceased. This was stated in an interview with WALA, which is an affiliate of Mobile Fox.
Williams detailed the experience of receiving the alarming call from the funeral home in the same interview. The caller reportedly told her and her brothers, “We need you to get down here.”
Williams’s brothers were also present during the terrifying conversation. Please allow us to speak with you. The condition of their late mother, whose body was in an unexpectedly advanced state of decay and bloated, was revealed to them when they arrived at the scene for the funeral.
Williams shared that I shed tears. We were the three of us—my two other brothers and I. Our bodies were thrown to the ground. Observing her in such a state was nothing short of heartbreaking.
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Springhill Medical Center has informed that they do not comment on pending litigation, according to a spokesman with the organization.
Regarding the lawsuit, there is no allegation that any wrongdoing occurred prior to the passing of Charlene Williams.
Her surviving daughter is suing the hospital for allegedly mistreating her mother’s body, and she is seeking both compensatory and punitive damages for the institution’s actions.
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