The Tragic Loss of Grace Schara

The Tragic Loss of Grace Schara

“The tragic loss of Grace Schara: A fight for justice and accountability.”

My name is Patrik Hutzel from intensivecarehotline.com, and today I want to talk about the tragic loss of Grace Schara, the fight for justice and accountability.

Grace Schara was a 19-year-old teenager who died in October 2021 at Saint Elizabeth’s Hospital in Wisconsin in the USA under harrowing circumstances. I’ve had Scott Schara on my podcast a while ago to talk about his horrific experience with his daughter passing in ICU at Saint Elizabeth’s Hospital in Wisconsin under these harrowing circumstances.

So, the story has again made headlines in the last few weeks because Scott and his family are suing the hospital, and the case has finally gone to trial. I want to read out an article that has been published in the last few days from Mary Talley Bowden, MD. It’s a newsletter that I’m subscribing to, but the case like I said, has been in the public arena for quite some time, and I have had Scott Schara on my podcast, and I will put a link towards my interview with Scott.

So, let’s read out what’s been written about Grace and the case that’s in front of the courts.

“In October 2021, Scott Schara’s 19-year-old daughter, Grace, who had Down syndrome, died at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Wisconsin under harrowing circumstances. Her story reveals a disturbing intersection of hospital protocols, medical negligence, and systemic failures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Grace’s death, which her family alleges was a result of intentional misconduct, has led to a groundbreaking lawsuit set for trial in June 2025, the time of the recording of this video is the 7th of June, potentially setting a precedent for accountability in healthcare.

Grace, described by her father as a “gift from God,” contracted COVID-19 in September 2021. Initially, the Schara family followed the Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance (FLCCC) protocol, using ivermectin and vitamins. However, a critical decision to purchase a pulse oximeter, driven by pandemic propaganda, proved fatal. When Grace’s oxygen saturation dropped to 88%, the family, adhering to protocol recommendations, admitted her to the hospital on October 6, 2021. Scott later reflected that this reliance on a number, without a baseline or understanding of oxygen saturation, was a grave mistake. Grace, who merely had a cold, might still be alive had they not sought hospital care.

Once admitted, Grace’s condition was mismanaged. Despite initially stabilizing with oxygen, hospital staff escalated her treatment to high-flow oxygen devices like Vapotherm and BiPAP (Bi-level Positive Airway Pressure) within 24 hours, often without clear communication to Scott and the Schara family, who was present as her advocate. On October 10, Scott was forcibly removed from the hospital by an armed guard, accused of having COVID symptoms and interfering with care. During the 47 hours Grace was without an advocate, staff administered Precedex, a sedative, increasing its dosage six times. On October 13, while Grace’s sister Jessica was briefly absent, the hospital restrained Grace, leading to her defecating in bed. That same day, Dr. Gavin Shokar placed an unauthorized Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order on her chart, despite the family’s explicit refusal to authorize ventilation or DNR status.

The sequence of events on Grace’s final day is chilling. Between 10:48 a.m. and 6:15 p.m., staff administered a maximum dose of Precedex, three doses of Lorazepam, and morphine—medications contraindicated together and akin to hospice euthanasia protocols. Despite Scott questioning the morphine, the doctor claimed it was to “slow her breathing.” By 7:18 p.m., Grace’s vitals plummeted, and Jessica, Grace’s sister, on a FaceTime call, pleaded for help. Nurses, citing the unauthorized DNR, refused to intervene, and Grace died at 7:27 p.m. as her family watched helplessly.

The Schara family’s lawsuit, filed in April 2023, names Dr. Shokar and nurses Allison Barkholtz and Holly McGinnis, alleging medical malpractice and battery due to the unauthorized DNR and intentional administration of lethal medications. Attorney Warner Mendenhall emphasizes the battery claim, which could hold individuals personally liable, bypassing protections like the PREP (Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act) Act. The case, one of the first COVID-related lawsuits to reach a jury trial, faces challenges, including Wisconsin’s $750,000 medical malpractice cap, which deters attorneys from taking such cases. Yet, the Scharas are not seeking financial gain; any award will support Grace’s nonprofit to raise awareness.

Discovery revealed systemic issues: doctors adhering to rigid protocols, ignoring patient needs and patient wishes, and a lack of accountability. Notably, Grace’s medical records labeled her a “non-VIP patient,” suggesting differential treatment, possibly exacerbated by her “unvaccinated status and Down syndrome.” The case also highlights broader discrimination against vulnerable populations, including the elderly and disabled, during the pandemic.

The trial started June 2nd (covered live by Children’s Health Defense) and is expected to span up to four weeks, and will test the legal climate in Wisconsin, where hospitals wield significant influence. A victory could set a precedent, exposing hospital misconduct and prompting reform. Scott and Warner hope Grace’s story will illuminate the erosion of the doctor-patient relationship and spur a revival of ethical medicine. For the Scharas, justice means ensuring Grace’s death was not in vain, saving lives by challenging a broken system.

To learn more about Grace, please visit the website in her honor, www.ourAmazingGrace.net.”

It’s quite a devastating situation for the Schara family. Like I said, I’ve had Scott Schara on my podcast in an interview and it’s just heartbreaking what he and his family had to go through.

Whilst I disagree with oxygen saturation dropped to 88%, it was probably the right thing for her to go to hospital, from me as a registered nurse perspective. What happened afterwards doesn’t sound right to me. I have not had the opportunity to look at medical records, so I can only go with what’s been presented as evidence on various outlets. But if an unauthorized DNR has been issued, and if she was labeled as a non-VIP patient, and if she had been given Precedex and other benzodiazepines while she was on BIPAP, that could have potentially hastened death and could have been euthanasia. But that’s what the courts are here to decide.

So, we’ll be looking with much anticipation for the verdict there. We wish certainly Scott Schara and his family all the best. But also, I think it could become a landmark case. We’ve been involved in exposing many cases over the years publicly and not so publicly, where the hospitals are issuing unauthorized DNRs, where patients have been removed from life support without patient or family consent.

It is time that this is becoming in the public eye, and it’s time that the broken system will be fixed and that the patient-doctor relationship will be back again on solid grounds and not on shaky ground as it stands at the moment.

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Thank you so much for watching.

This is Patrik Hutzel from intensivecarehotline.com, and I will talk to you in a few days.

Take care for now.

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