Quadriplegic man, 33, dies after smoking fentanyl in San Fran's Zuckerberg hospital when nurses 'ignored his mom's warning about bizarre place he stashed his drugs'

A quadriplegic man died after allegedly smoking fentanyl in San Francisco's Zuckerberg General Hospital after his mother said she warned nurses he had a drug stash on him.

Christopher Saylor, 33, was found dead after nurses found him lying next to a piece of tin foil, a lighter, a straw and 'white powder.' 

In 2020, Christopher, who also went by Chris, was left paralyzed from the neck down after a horrific motorcycle accident.

His heartbroken mother, Barbara Scholes, told The San Francisco Standard she told medical staff they needed to confiscate his stash of drugs that hung around his neck in a tiny red box.

The day before he died, nurses found Chris high on fentanyl as he 'refused a search of his belongings.' They allegedly prescribed him oxycodone, according to a death report reviewed by The San Francisco Standard. 

Christopher Saylor (pictured before his accident), 33, died after nurses at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital found him lying next to a piece of tin foil, a lighter, a straw and 'white powder' 

His mother said that medical staff at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital (pictured) did not confiscate the drugs on him even after she informed them of his stash 

His mother arrived at the hospital on December 17, 2022, the day Chris died, and was handed her son's belongings, including the red box that still had fentanyl inside. 

'What a freaking joke,' Barbara said. 'They gave me his possessions, and there was the red box. I opened it up, and sure enough, there it was.' 

'You don't check them for drugs when they're known drug users? That's pretty stupid,' she added. 

Barbara believes that her son would still be alive if medical staff had confiscated his drugs.

It was later revealed that the day before he was found dead, Chris told hospital staff that a 'visitor' had brought him fentanyl. His mother believes that the person was a drug dealer.  

Barbara said that she thought about taking legal action against the hospital after she lost her son, but she couldn't afford a lawyer. 

The circumstances as to how Chris died have baffled his family as he had little to no mobility after the accident. 

His father, Richard Saylor, has been trying to understand how his son who 'had no use of his hands,' was able to light a lighter just before he died. 

'Somebody had to have lit it for him,' Richard said. 

His mother arrived at the hospital the day after Chris died and was handed her son's belongings, including the red box that still had fentanyl inside. (pictured: Chris before his accident) 

Meanwhile, Barbara said that she believes her son could have very well ignited the lighter himself, as he found a way to do so when he was a patient at Laguna Honda Hospital following his accident. 

Heather Bollinger, an emergency room nurse at the hospital, said that her and her colleagues have refrained from taking drugs from patients, as they fear it could lead to their medical licenses being taken away. 

'We don't have the mechanisms in place to remove drugs from people,' Bollinger said. 

'If this was your family member and they were in the hospital, you would be like, 'Why are you allowing them to do this?''

Hospital administrators have maintained that drug use is not allowed in or near the hospital. 

The hospital told the San Francisco Standard that drug users are allowed to dispose of substances, but did not elaborate further. 

'We have an ideology that we really want to support, but we don't have the resources in place to make it successful,' Bollinger said. 

'Now we have a patient who can't get what they need, and we have a nurse who's at risk.'

After his accident, Barbara said that her son only had mobility in his arms and that his hands permanently balled up into fists.

Richard said that his son's accident really impacted him. 

'The doctor told him he had zero chance to walk ever again, so they stopped doing therapy,' he said. 'They dashed the dude's hope.'

In 2020, Chris (pictured before his accident) was left paralyzed from the neck down after he was hit by a car while riding his motorcycle in San Francisco. The accident broke his C5 bone and doctor's told him he 'had zero chance to walk ever again' 

His mother said that she has remembered her late son for his generosity and sense of humor. (pictured: Chris before his accident) 

Following his death, a GoFundMe page was created to help support his family 'cover the unexpected tragic loss.' 

Although the fundraiser has closed, it raised $870 for Chris's family. The organizer, Ashley Valente, detailed the incident that left Chris paralyzed. 

'A little over two years ago Chris was riding his bike in San Francisco and got hit by a car and broke his C5 bone which then paralyzed him from the neck down, we didn't think he would make it [out] alive but he was saved by a miracle,'Valente wrote. 

'This never stopped Chris from being a kind, loving person with great qualities.' His mom said she has remembered her late son for his generosity and sense of humor. 

She added that to many of his friends he was known as 'Crazy Chris,' while his father said that his memorial service was packed with loved ones. 

'He was always funny, joking around. Always trying to help,' Barbara said. 'Then he started using drugs, and my God.' 

DailyMail.com contacted Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital for comment.