A woman who gave a milkshake to a diabetic teen and failed to take the child to doctor appointments to deal with the condition has been charged with unlawful conduct towards a child.
This is…horrible.
At a glance:
- Shirl Lee Sweeney, 50, has been charged with unlawful conduct after allowing a diabetic 17-year-old in her care to drink a milkshake, which led to the teen’s death.
- The teen, diagnosed with diabetes in 2021, missed medical appointments and did not receive necessary insulin treatment for over a year.
- The cause of death was listed as hyperosmolar ketoacidosis due to diabetes, and authorities ruled it a homicide.
Shirl Lee Sweeney, a 50-year-old South Carolina woman, has been charged with unlawful conduct toward a child after a diabetic 17-year-old under her care died following the consumption of a milkshake. Authorities say Sweeney failed to ensure that the teenager received proper medical treatment for her diabetes, ultimately leading to the girl’s death from hyperosmolar ketoacidosis, a life-threatening complication of diabetes.
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The teenager was diagnosed with diabetes in June 2021 and required regular insulin treatments to manage her condition. Despite this, the teen missed numerous medical appointments, and Sweeney did not administer the insulin, even after being repeatedly warned by medical staff about the seriousness of the situation. In September 2021, the teen was hospitalized for high blood pressure, at which time Sweeney was told that the administration of insulin was “not optional.”
In August 2022, Sweeney reported that the teen was vomiting, a known symptom of diabetic ketoacidosis, but did not take her to the hospital. The following day, Sweeney called 911, stating that she found the teen on the bathroom floor. During the call, she was overheard saying, “I knew she shouldn’t have had that milkshake.”
The teen was transported to the hospital with severely elevated blood glucose levels and significant weight loss but ultimately died from hyperosmolar ketoacidosis. Investigators later classified the death as a homicide, as Sweeney had been responsible for the teen’s well-being but failed to provide the necessary care.
Authorities charged Sweeney with the teen’s death, citing her failure to administer insulin and take the teenager to medical appointments, placing the girl at an “unreasonable risk of harm.” The case highlights the severe consequences of neglecting medical advice in managing chronic conditions like diabetes.
