Woman, 61, blinded herself with plastic fork at Connecticut hospital after MENOPAUSE triggered severe mental illness... now she's suing staff for letting her do it

By NATASHA ANDERSON, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 15:15, 4 June 2026 | Updated: 15:19, 4 June 2026 A woman has sued a top Connecticut hospital after she blinded herself in both eyes with a plastic fork after the menopause triggered a prolonged mental health crisis.  Leslie Deardoff was admitted to Stamford Hospital's inpatient psychiatric unit in January 2022 after suffering a medication overdose, according to a medical negligence lawsuit obtained by the Daily Mail.  Deardoff's mental health sharply declined after she went through the menopause in 2020, the lawsuit stated.  Just after midnight on January 13, she stabbed both of her eyes repeatedly with a plastic fork that staff had provided to her during mealtime, the complaint said. Hospital staff only learned about the severity of her injuries after Deardoff, who had blood pouring from both eyes, self-reported them at a nurse's station, the suit stated. The damage from the incident has left Deardoff, now 61, permanently blind. Her injuries were sustained just four hours after a psychiatric technician reported that Deardoff 'appeared withdrawn' and a nurse observed blood around her nose and mouth, the lawsuit said. The complaint, which names both Deardoff and her husband Christopher as defendants, claims her injuries were caused by a 'myriad of missed warning signs, systems failures, and [a] culture of carelessness.' Leslie Deardoff, seen before her injury, and her husband Christopher have sued Stamford Hospital for medical negligence after she blinded herself with a plastic fork while receiving treatment at the facility Lawyers for the hospital, in an answer to the complaint, filed a special defense, arguing that Deardoff's injuries were caused by comparative negligent conduct and contributory recklessness/intentional misconduct.  Deardoff was in a 'vulnerable state' at the time of her admittance and had been 'antagonized by intrusive thoughts of harming herself,' the lawsuit filed by her and her husband Christopher said.  Her condition worsened during the coronavirus pandemic and Deardoff sought inpatient treatment at Stamford Hospital in November 2021 after she 'attempted overdose on medication she had been prescribed,' according to the court document. She was discharged but returned to the hospital in January 2022 after a second suicide attempt, the complaint said.  Deardoff, described by her lawyers at being at 'one of her lowest moments,' was then admitted to an inpatient psychiatric unit. 'She could no longer care for herself and relied entirely on the mental health professionals who she and Christopher believed could be trusted during this crisis,' the complaint said.  'What followed, however, was a tragic course of incompetence and neglect that even Defendants do not truly defend.'  Deardoff was unattended and 'left alone to continue to harm herself' for at least four hours on January 12 and 13, the complaint said. A technician noted that she was withdrawn and spending 'extensive periods of time' alone in the bathroom around 7pm on the 12th, according to the filing. Around the same time, a nurse reported that Deardoff had blood on her nose and mouth, but failed to complete a self-harm assessment, the lawsuit stated. Instead the nurse allegedly dismissed the bleeding as having originated from an 'eyebrow scratch.' Lawyers for Stamford Hospital, in an answer to the complaint, filed a special defense, arguing that Deardoff's injuries were caused by comparative negligent conduct and contributory recklessness/intentional misconduct Two hours later, a second nurse documented that Deardoff had 'slightly swollen and bloodshot eyes.' This allegedly triggered observation from a physician, but medical staff did not increase monitoring or change her treatment plan, the filing said. Around midnight on January 13, Deardoff 'repeatedly gouged both her eyes with a fork tine until she blinded herself,' the suit claims. She then walked to the nursing station and complained that she 'could no longer see out of her right eye.' 'At approximately 12:46 a.m., Leslie left her room and approached the nursing station actively bleeding from both eyes and complaining that she could no longer see out of her right eye,' the complaint said. The lawsuit accuses the hospital and its parent company Stamford Health, Inc of failing to conduct 15-minute safety checks or perform a one-to-one observational protocol which was allegedly 'required in light of her two suicide attempts, her serious diagnoses, her lack of insight, and her impulsive behavior.' 'Not only had the Defendants ignored earlier indications that [she] was in the process of injuring herself, but they had also completely failed to conduct the regular 15-minute safety checks.' It criticized nursing staff for allegedly 'recklessly' telling Deardoff that she would not be getting out of the psychiatric unit in the near future, which Deardoff's lawyers claim caused her to 'spiral.' The complaint also accused the hospital of not having proper policies in place for tracking the distribution and return of eating utensils. It further claimed that staff also failed to confirm whether the utensils used by patients were full intact upon their return, the filing said.   An investigation by the Connecticut Department of Public Health found that staff failed to increase monitoring of Deardoff after she was found with a bloodied face and swollen eyes on January 12. Officials also determined that the hospital failed to ensure her eating utensils had been returned. Stamford Hospital and Stamford Health, Inc offered to settle the case for $15 million in August 2024, but nothing came of the offer, court documents state. The case is now expected to go to trial at the state Superior Court in Bridgeport, with jury selection scheduled to begin on June 25. The Daily Mail has approached Stamford Health and an attorney for the Deardoffs for comment. 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