A Missouri family has filed a lawsuit following the tragic death of a St. Louis man, James Showmaker, who suffered from a rare disability that made him highly susceptible to choking. The incident occurred after a caregiver served him a turkey burger and fries, leaving him unsupervised, according to legal documents.

James Showmaker, aged 57, was left brain dead following what his family describes as a “terrifying and painful” incident. He was taken off life support three days later. His sister and other family members are now pursuing legal action against the caregiver, Tara Whitehead, and the Easterseals facility where he was residing in June 2025.

“James’s death was preventable,” the lawsuit asserts, noting that his Individual Service Plan (ISP) required constant supervision during meals to ensure he was counting to 20 between bites. The petition accuses Whitehead of failing to adhere to this plan.

Showmaker lived with Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS), a rare condition characterized by an insatiable appetite and related behavioral issues. According to his family, PWS not only affects food consumption but also the pace at which individuals eat. The syndrome reduces muscle strength, including those used for swallowing, which heightens the risk of choking and overeating.

The family emphasizes that vigilant supervision during meals is crucial for individuals with PWS. They state that food should be cut into small pieces, and supervisors should ensure the individual pauses between bites by engaging in activities like counting or flipping cards, as outlined in the legal filing.

Proper supervision of eating is critical, according to Showmaker”s family, and often requires that the person with PWS is fed with their food “precut into small bites, that a supervisor watches them eat, and/or that a supervisor requires them to do a task such as count to 20 or turn playing cards over in between each bite of food,” per the petition.

On June 20, 2025, Whitehead was assigned as “fill in staff” at the Easterseals PWS home in Crestwood where Showmaker lived and was being looked after. “She gave him a turkey burger and fries,” the petition says. “She admitted that she left the room after doing so in direct contravention of James’ ISP.”

Showmaker began coughing, choking and making “agonizing moans” that Whitehead heard and prompted her to return. “She told him to go ‘throw it up’ even though people with PWS do not typically throw up,” the petition says. “If they do, that is serious cause for concern and a trip to the hospital, but Easterseals clearly did not adequately train or supervise Ms. Whitehead in her job duties.”

Showmaker collapsed from the lack of oxygen, and Whitehead called 911. She allegedly didn’t know the phone number to the Easterseals home where they were. On top of that, Whitehead failed to unlock the front door to let police and EMS inside, “so precious seconds were lost while James was deprived of oxygen,” the petition states.

“James’s brain was deprived of oxygen for too long,” the document alleges. “When he arrived at the hospital he was brain dead. James suffered immensely through the whole ordeal.”

According to his family, Showmaker suffered seizures and he developed sepsis after his hospitalization. He died three days later after being taken off life support.

“This is a case about an organization that families and the public entrust to supervise their parents, children, and siblings,” the legal petition states. “Despite that enormous amount of trust, Easterseals negligently trains and supervises its employees who are tasked with monitoring the activities of people, like James, who have conditions that make them a danger to themselves.”

According to Showmaker’s family, Whitehead has admitted that Easterseals never required her to read Showmaker’s ISP. “If it provided any training regarding PWS to her at all, such training was severely lacking,” their petition says. “After all, Easterseals had assigned her as ‘fill in staff.’”

Showmaker’s family says his ISP explicitly stated that “one of the most important things to know is FOOD is the KILLER” and caregivers must protect Showmaker “from avoidable death and harm to himself,” per the petition.

“When James is eating, he needs to set his fork down between bites and count to 20 or flip over 20 cards,” the ISP allegedly stated. “In order to ensure that James counts to twenty or flips over twenty playing cards between bites, an employee must stand by his side while he is eating. If they do not, he is at a serious risk of eating his food too quickly and choking.”

Easterseals could not be reached for comment Sunday. Valerie Hoven, vice president of communications for Easterseals Midwest, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the organization cannot comment on pending litigation. She declined to comment on whether Whitehead, who could not be reached for comment, still works for the group.