EXCLUSIVE

Secret plans are afoot to allow the lone survivor of the deadly mushroom lunch to honor his wife after her death.

Pastor Ian Wilkinson was the only person to survive the poisoned beef Wellington served on July 29 by housewife Erin Patterson in eastern Victoria.

His wife Heather, 66, his sister Gail and her husband Don Patterson had been invited to lunch as part of a “mediation”. meeting to discuss Ms Patterson’s relationship with her ex-husband Simon, who pulled out at the last minute.

Daily Mail Australia can reveal Ms Wilkinson will be honored at a public service on October 7 in Korumburra.

Ian Wilkinson and Heather Wilkinson (both pictured). Ian Wilkinson has been released from hospital after spending weeks recovering from a poisonous mushroom lunch that claimed the lives of three other people, including his wife.

Erin Patterson is pictured outside her home days after serving the deadly meal

Members of the close-knit Korumburra Baptist Church met at a Korumburra bakery on Monday to plan the secret services.

The memorial is expected to be similar to that held for the Pattersons on August 31, when more than 450 mourners gathered at Korumburra Recreation Center to pay their respects to the beloved couple.

Mr. Wilkinson has not been seen in public since his release from Austin hospital and it is unclear whether he has ever spoken to homicide detectives.

It is also unclear whether his wife was buried while he was still recovering in hospital.

The Pattersons had been buried in a private service while he was still being treated.

The 68-year-old is expected to address mourners at the service, as Simon Patterson did for his parents last month.

Mr Wilkinson’s release from hospital is being hailed as a miracle by his congregation.

His family confirmed on Saturday that he was now making “significant progress” at home.

Erin’s former in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson (pictured), died a week after attending the luncheon

Simon Patterson paid tribute to his parents at a public memorial last month

A large police presence was present for Patterson’s memorial

“This milestone marks a moment of immense relief and gratitude for Ian and the entire Wilkinson family,” they said.

“The Wilkinson family would like to express their sincere thanks to Leongatha, Dandenong and Austin Hospitals for their unwavering dedication and exceptional care which played a pivotal role in Ian’s recovery.

“The expertise and compassion of the medical team has been a source of comfort and hope throughout this journey.

The family also thanked the local community, including church members and other relatives.

“This collective kindness has been a pillar of strength for Ian and the family, reinforcing the sense of unity and compassion that defines our community,” they said.

Daily Mail Australia revealed last month that Mr Wilkinson likely only survived because he was rushed to a hospital known for expertise in treating patients suffering from poisoning.

The final resting place of Don and Gail Patterson

A hospital insider told Daily Mail Australia that Mr Wilkinson was taken to Austin Hospital – recognized as the referral hospital for Victoria’s most seriously ill patients – for a specific reason that he probably saved his life.

“The Austin was not the natural hospital to go to. From Leongatha the nearest hospital is Monash Medical Center – that’s where they usually go. They basically went to the hospital as far away as possible,” the source said.

“The main intensive care unit, and you need the best, you go to the Alfred or the Royal Melbourne. They didn’t do it either. The state poison control center is in Austin, that’s why he went there.

“That means they are more interested in mushrooms than intensive care.”

Erin Patterson had earlier told police the mushrooms used in the lunch were a mixture of button mushrooms purchased from a supermarket and dried mushrooms purchased from an Asian supermarket in Melbourne a few months earlier.

In her statement, leaked to the media by an unknown source, Ms Patterson said she divided the meal onto plates and let her guests choose theirs.

She said she took the last remaining plate and ate a portion, then handing the remains over to hospital toxicologists for examination.

A dehydrator she owned was later abandoned at the local dump, fearing that her ex-husband would blame her for the deaths of his parents and gain custody of their two children, she said.

Erin has denied any wrongdoing and Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting she intentionally poisoned her four loved ones.