A woman from South Carolina is facing accusations of allowing a teenager under her supervision to die due to insufficient diabetes medication, and she reportedly confessed to permitting the girl to consume something she was aware could pose a risk to her health.
According to a statement from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), Shirl Lee Sweeney, 50, of North Charleston, neglected to provide proper care for a 17-year-old girl with diabetes who was under her supervision. A probable cause affidavit reveals that Sweeney was aware for years that the girl, whose identity remains undisclosed, required medication to survive, yet failed to ensure she received it.
“In June of 2021, the juvenile victim was diagnosed with diabetes,” says the affidavit, which does not state the relationship between Sweeney and the victim. After multiple canceled and “no-show” medical appointments, the victim was hospitalized in September 2021 for high blood sugar.
“At that time, the defendant was advised that the victim taking her insulin was not optional,” the affidavit says. “This insulin was needed daily in order to help maintain her insulin levels throughout the night.”
According to the affidavit, the most recent order for insulin for the girl was on September 20, 2021, and she “was never taken [] back to her pediatric endocrinologist.”
Medical professionals allegedly informed Sweeney on several occasions that if the girl began to vomit, she needed to be taken to the hospital right away, as this could indicate diabetic ketoacidosis, a serious and potentially life-threatening condition resulting from insufficient insulin production in the body. Sweeney, who reportedly mentioned her diabetes, “expressed understanding of this,” according to the affidavit.
Even with that recognition, Sweeney reportedly failed to take action.
“On August 12, 2022, the victim was seen vomiting by the Defendant,” the affidavit says. “She was not transported to the hospital.”
The next day, Sweeney made the decision to call 911 upon discovering the girl on her bathroom floor. In that conversation, Sweeney reportedly suggested that she may have anticipated this outcome.
“While on the phone with 911 dispatch, the Defendant was heard saying, ‘I knew she shouldn’t [have] had that milkshake,’” the affidavit says.
A girl was transported to the hospital, where she was declared deceased.
Medical staff reported that the teenager’s weight had decreased from 136 pounds to 98 pounds.
“The cause of death was listed as hyperosmolar ketoacidosis due to diabetes mellitus,” the affidavit says. “The manner of death was listed as a homicide.”
Sweeney faces charges for inappropriate behavior involving a minor, as of Wednesday. She remains in custody with a bond set at $40,000 and is expected to appear in court on November 22.