Woman Took Her Own Life After $35B Tech Company Cancelled Health Benefits During Mental Health Leave, Parents Claim

In the fast-paced, cutthroat world of New York tech, a company's success is often measured by the billions of dollars on its balance sheet. But a terrifying new lawsuit filed in the Manhattan Supreme Court on December 24, 2025, suggests that the price for that success is much higher.

It tells the story of a brilliant Columbia University graduate and former NASA intern whose parents say she was pushed to a tragic end when her $35 billion employer heartlessly cut off her lifeline at the worst possible time.

Annie Surman was, by every objective measure, a 'science wiz.' Before joining the data storage giant MongoDB in 2021, she had already contributed to the Mars Rover project as a NASA intern and conducted neuroscience research at Columbia Medical Center.

However, after three years as a Technical Program Manager at the firm, the once high-achieving 28-year-old was reportedly reduced to a shadow of her former self, struggling with debilitating anxiety and depression triggered by what court papers describe as 'extreme work stress.'

The Fatal Disconnect: How Work Stress Broke Annie Surman

According to the litigation, Surman's mental health deteriorated so sharply that she became unable to perform the most basic of daily tasks, such as brushing her teeth or leaving her bed. Her parents, Greg Surman and Karen Connolly, provided heartbreaking messages to the court in which Annie spoke of her inability to function and a growing desire to die. In April 2024, she sought a one-month medical leave to address her condition.

While MongoDB initially agreed to extend her leave through September, the family claims the company performed a sudden and 'cruel' about-face. On 31 July, the firm reportedly demanded she return to work the following week and abruptly cancelled her health insurance coverage.

This occurred despite the company allegedly knowing that Surman was undergoing potentially life-saving Ketamine treatment. Her parents noted that this timing was especially devastating, as Annie had finally begun to believe there was 'hope for her recovery.'

At the time of her leave, Surman was reportedly based at the company's Hell's Kitchen office.

A Family's Plea And The Tragic Legacy Of Annie Surman

Despite the family's desperate appeals—even offering that the company did not need to pay her or guarantee her role, simply that they not fire her while she was so fragile—Surman was officially terminated on 8 August 2024. The impact was immediate.

'They sent me an email with all the departure info and I feel very sick,' Annie texted her mother, who had temporarily moved to New Jersey to support her daughter. Moments later, she made her first attempt on her life.

Though she survived that initial crisis and entered a psychiatric hospital—with her parents forced to pay out of pocket due to her lost insurance—the 'shame' of being fired continued to haunt her. On 13 September, she attempted suicide again using a drug ordered online.

In a tragic final moment of regret, she called 911 herself, but died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. Her father was alone in a taxi to the airport when he received the news, hearing his wife's screams in the background.

The lawsuit further alleges that MongoDB may have fired Surman just before a mass layoff to avoid paying severance, and later rescinded an offer to help the family retrieve her life insurance.

Christine Dunn, the family's solicitor, emphasised that Annie had no history of mental health issues prior to her tenure at the firm. As the legal battle begins, the case stands as a sobering indictment of corporate culture and the human cost behind the data.

While MongoDB has not yet issued a public response to the specific allegations in the lawsuit, a company spokesperson previously declined to comment on the pending litigation. In her final note, Annie left a simple, devastating message: 'For those who need to know: I love you. I love you. I'm sorry. I love you.'