Calgary woman sues restaurant claiming tainted wor wonton soup left her in a coma

Wor(risome) wonton soup spurs lawsuit? Calgarian files statement of claim against defendants seeking restitution from alleged severe food poisoning. Ina Sidhu reports.

A former customer of a southeast restaurant alleges some of the ingredients in a bowl of soup she purchased prompted a six-month hospital stay and now she’s seeking financial restitution.

Nicole Laurin says her husband ordered food from the Saigon Bistro restaurant, in Southland Crossing on Macleod Trail Southeast, on October 29, 2014 and she was the victim of severe food poisoning.

“I ate my soup and it wasn’t until the next day I started vomiting and I had diarrhea,” recalled Laurin. “I was very sick and went to sleep.”

Two days later, on Halloween, Laurin slipped into a coma and was admitted to an Intensive Care Unit at a local hospital. She came to nearly a week later surrounded by loved ones but was startled to discover she was on a respirator.

“I had a respirator and IVs and I found out I was on dialysis because my kidneys had failed,” said Laurin. “They told me I had E.coli.”

Laurin’s stay would last until the spring of 2015 but her pain continued following her release from hospital.

“It’s been a traumatic experience for both of us,” said Dwayne MacPherson, Laurin’s husband. “For two years I’ve seen my wife of 21 years go through agonizing pain, six months in hospital and the last year and a half going through rehab.”

Laurin alleges the wontons in the wor wonton soup contained tainted meat. On October 11, 2016, a lawsuit was filed naming Saigon Bistro Ltd. and Wah Hing Meat Shop, a butcher located in Chinatown, among the defendants. The plaintiff, a former realtor, is seeking nearly $2.7 million in lost wages and damages.

The owners of Saigon Bistro and Wah Hing Meat Shop have not responded to CTV Calgary’s interview requests.

Now, nearly two years after her life-altering trip to the eatery, Laurin continues to suffer from chronic pain, headaches, nausea and fatigue but she has seen progress in her attempt to rehabilitate.

“I was in a wheelchair a year ago,” explained Laurin. “I’m now walking with a four-wheel walker.

Nelson Osamudiamen, Laurin’s lawyer, says a search is underway to identify all of the parties who played a part in the harming of his client.

“Our investigation continues,” said Osamudiamen. “We are confident that, at the end of the investigation, we will be able to identify all the relevant actors in this case.”

In addition to the restaurant and butcher, the statement of claim seeks damages from a processing plant, the alleged source of the meat within the wontons.

Laurin’s allegations have not been proven in court and a statement of defence has yet to be filed.

With files from CTV’s Ina Sidhu