> At a Glance
> – Laura Marcelino and Carlos Diaz mistook wild mushrooms in Toro Park for edible ones on Nov. 30, 2025
> – Both were hospitalized; Diaz required an emergency liver transplant
> – The CDPH had just warned of a statewide poisoning outbreak tied to 21 cases and one death
> – Why it matters: Foraging mushrooms can be fatal-even experts struggle to tell toxic from safe varieties
A Salinas, California, couple is urging the public to avoid foraging wild mushrooms after a November hike left them hospitalized and one fighting for life on a transplant list.
Foraging Trip Turns Critical
On Nov. 30, 2025, Laura Marcelino, her husband Carlos Diaz, and their children hiked Toro Park during the rainy season. Marcelino, originally from Oaxaca, Mexico, said they collected mushrooms similar to those eaten back home, assuming they were safe.
Within hours of cooking and eating the fungi, both parents suffered violent vomiting and diarrhea. Only Marcelino and Diaz consumed the mushrooms; their children were unharmed.
> Laura Marcelino recalled:
> “We thought to ourselves, it’s the rainy season and like back in our town, people pick up the mushrooms. It’s food, but we didn’t think it was poisonous.”
After a full day of symptoms, relatives took them to Natividad Medical Center where doctors ordered monitoring with no food intake.
Rapid Decline and Transplant
Marcelino began to recover, but Diaz’s liver failed. He was transferred to Stanford Hospital and placed at the top of the transplant list. An emergency liver transplant ultimately saved his life.
> Carlos Diaz said:
> “I feel for the family that donated the liver. It’s sad losing a family member, but I believe they were good people to be able to donate an organ of their loved one and give it to me.”
Statewide Poisoning Alert
The incident followed a Dec. 5 health alert after California identified 21 amatoxin poisoning cases-linked to wild mushrooms-with one fatality. The Monterey and San Francisco Bay areas reported significant clusters.
State health officer Dr. Erica Pan warned that death cap mushrooms contain toxins causing liver failure and can look identical to edible varieties. Cooking, boiling, drying, or freezing does not remove the danger.
Family Faces Financial Strain
The couple’s six children launched a GoFundMe, explaining both parents now cannot work their physically demanding field-labor jobs while medical bills mount.
> Flor Diaz wrote:
> “The road to recovery is long, and both of my parents are unable to work. With no income and mounting medical expenses, our family is facing an overwhelming financial burden.”
Key Takeaways
- Even experienced foragers can mistake deadly mushrooms for safe ones
- California is in a high-risk season with 21 confirmed poisoning cases statewide
- Cooking toxic fungi does not neutralize poisons like amatoxins
- Diaz received a lifesaving transplant after rapid liver failure
The family hopes park signage warning about toxic mushrooms will prevent others from enduring the same near-deadly mistake.
