A nursing facility in Charleston, South Carolina, is facing a wrongful death lawsuit after 83-year-old Shelba Catterton, a dementia patient, allegedly suffered more than 1,000 fire ant bites and stings after leaving the facility unsupervised. Catterton was reportedly found outside Harmony at West Ashley the following afternoon, covered in bites across her face, scalp, back, chest, and limbs.
Catterton was hospitalized with extensive ant bites, hypothermia, and pneumonia and received intravenous antibiotics and steroids. Her condition later deteriorated, and she was placed in hospice care before dying on August 7. The lawsuit alleges negligence, gross negligence, wrongful death, and violations of state laws governing resident care. Hughey Law Firm attorney Nathan Hughey represents Catterton’s family. The Charleston County Coroner’s Office said autopsy and toxicology results remain pending, while Harmony Senior Services declined to comment on the details because the case is currently in litigation.
