The Long Road Back for Emily Willis

Willis, legally named Litzy Lara Banuelos, entered the Summit Malibu facility in early 2024 to address ketamine and alcohol addiction. Nine days into a $45,500 treatment program, she suffered cardiac arrest and a prolonged period of oxygen deprivation. A civil lawsuit filed by her mother, Yesenia Cooper, alleged that the facility ignored signs of physical decline, including severe weight loss and disorientation, while failing to provide adequate medical oversight. The facility denied all allegations of wrongdoing, and the parties reached a $3 million settlement in July without an admission of liability.

Following the settlement, which will provide roughly $1.25 million after legal costs to support her ongoing care, Willis was moved to Mexico. Her mother oversees her daily needs with the help of extended family, while seeking experimental treatments in Europe that might offer a path toward independence. Though Willis cannot communicate, her brother, Michael Cooper, clings to moments of recognition. He describes a heartbreaking reality where he sometimes blows a kiss to his sister, only to see her attempt to pucker her lips in response. For a family that once saw her as a fiercely independent breadwinner, these small, fragile interactions are the only bridge left to the woman they remember.