Woman arrested after allegedly allowing diabetic teen to drink milkshake, failing to give her insulin

CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (TCN) -- A 50-year-old woman is in custody and has been charged in connection with the death of a diabetic 17-year-old.

According to an affidavit posted by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), in June 2021, the juvenile victim was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Medical staff reportedly told Shirl Lee Sweeney the victim needed to attend medical appointments and take insulin daily to maintain her levels throughout the night. Many of the appointments, however, ended up being canceled or "no-shows." SLED did not publicly disclose Sweeney’s relationship to the 17-year-old.

In September 2021, the victim went to the hospital for high blood sugar, and staff told Sweeney that taking insulin "was not optional." According to SLED, the victim didn’t return to her pediatric endocrinologist again, and she last ordered the teen’s nighttime insulin on Sept. 20, 2021.

Medical staff reportedly educated Sweeney, who also has diabetes, on the 17-year-old’s medical condition multiple times.

According to the affidavit, on Aug. 12, 2022, the victim began vomiting, but Sweeney didn’t seek medical care even though she knew it was a sign of diabetic ketoacidosis. The following day, the defendant reportedly called law enforcement after finding the teen on the bathroom floor. While on the phone with 911, dispatchers allegedly heard her say, "I knew she shouldn’t of [sic] had that milkshake."

The victim was transported to the hospital and pronounced deceased. Around the time of her death, the teen’s blood sugar glucose level was 953 mg/dL, and her weight had decreased from 136 to 98 pounds. According to the CDC, a normal blood sugar range before a meal is 80 to 130 mg/dL and after a meal less than 180 mg/dL, so the victim’s levels were nearly eight times the recommended numbers. Authorities determined the victim died of hyperosmolar ketoacidosis from diabetes mellitus, and her death was ruled a homicide.

SLED alleges Sweeney "medically neglected" the teen and "placed her at unreasonable risk of harm that affected her life, physical health, and safety." She faces a charge of unlawful conduct towards a child and remains held in the Charleston County Jail on $40,000 bond.