Trending Now - Arizona Woman Develops Severe Illness After Friend's Meal

WHO:

Trinity Peterson-Mayes, 24, a two-time cancer survivor and wedding planner

Loren Amatruda, Trinity's mother

Dr. Frank LoVecchio, emergency physician

Five of Trinity's friends who also tried the homemade meal

WHAT:

Trinity Peterson-Mayes contracted botulism after eating homemade fermented swordfish

Two of her five friends also developed botulism

Trinity was intubated, had three IVs, a central line in her neck, and an NG tube

Botulism is diagnosed in about two dozen cases per year in the U.S.

Trinity is expected to leave the hospital in about a week but may take months to fully recover

WHERE:

St. Joseph's Medical Center and Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, Arizona

Arizona, United States

WHEN:

The incident occurred in February 2026

Trinity expects to be released from the hospital around March 22nd, 2026

WHY:

The illness was caused by a toxin from botulism, which attacks the body's nerves and can lead to muscle paralysis and difficulty breathing

HOW:

Trinity initially went to the hospital after choking on a sip of coffee

She was transferred for specialized neurological care after the first hospital could not diagnose her condition

A life-saving antitoxin was administered to treat her botulism

(UPDATED March 15, 2026 05:31 UTC)

Trinity Peterson-Mayes, a 24-year-old wedding planner and two-time cancer survivor, was hospitalized after contracting botulism from eating homemade fermented swordfish, with two of her friends also affected by the illness. At St. Joseph's Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona, Trinity was intubated and received multiple IVs and a central line, but she is expected to be released around March 22, although her full recovery may take months. Botulism, which can cause muscle paralysis and breathing difficulties, is diagnosed in about two dozen cases each year in the U.S., and Trinity's condition was initially misdiagnosed after she went to the hospital for choking on a sip of coffee.