‘It’s Just a Sad, Sad Case:’ Family Sues Hospital, Doctor After 18-Year-Old Dies After Pine Needles, Moss and Twigs Were Stitched Into His Arm

An Oregon family sued a hospital after their teen allegedly died from a fast-moving infection caused by debris stitched inside his arm.

The lawsuit claims doctors left pine needles, moss, and twigs inside the teen’s wound, triggering the deadly infection.

WCNC reports Ethan Cantrell’s family filed the lawsuit in late April against Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center and two doctors. The family of the 18-year-old is seeking $100 million in damages.

According to the lawsuit, Dr. Robert Schweiss neglected to clean Cantrell’s arm and, in 2024, sutured it closed with twigs, pine needles and moss inside.

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Cantrell died five days later.

The lawsuit said Cantrell first went to the emergency room after a piece of debris stabbed his right arm while he was cutting wood.

WCNC reports that Schweiss examined the wound, irrigated it with saline, and sutured it closed.

The Corvallis Advocate reports Schweiss did not order CT scans or consider the possibility that organic debris may still be inside the deep puncture.

The lawsuit states that doctors should not tightly close deep puncture wounds when foreign material may be present because doing so traps bacteria and blocks drainage.

Later that same evening, Cantrell’s mother called the hospital to report her son had developed a 102.5-degree fever and had symptoms similar to COVID-19. But the lawsuit said when they tried at-home tests, they came back negative.

“That delay is crucial when we’re talking about an infection like this,” Brent Barton, Cantrell’s estate attorney, told The Oregonian.

It wasn’t until the fourth day that hospital staff decided Cantrell needed a higher level of care, according to the Advocate. Doctors airlifted him to Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, where surgeons amputated his arm and shoulder. He died the next morning.

“It’s just a sad, sad case,” Barton told The Oregonian.

According to his obituary, Ethan was a proud fifth-generation logger and Alsea native.

“Ethan’s days were filled with activity, whether it was in the gym, on the field, or spending quality time with those he loved,” his family wrote. “His tireless dedication to becoming the best version of himself was an inspiration to those around him, and despite setbacks from football injuries and illness, Ethan never wavered in his determination.”

The family said Ethan graduated from high school a little over two months before he died. He proposed to his high school sweetheart, Kendra Stone, one month before his death.

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“Though his time with us was tragically short, the lessons he taught through his actions and words will remain with us forever,” the obituary said.

Atlanta Black Star reached out to the hospital and Barton for comment, but has not heard back.

Good Samaritan shared a response to the Advocate.

“Our sympathies are with all who have been impacted by this loss,” Tyler Jacobsen, vice president and chief legal officer of Samaritan Health Services, said in a statement. “We take all concerns about patient care seriously, and we will respond through the appropriate legal process.”