Woman neglected teen girl with diabetes until she died, South Carolina cops say

A 17-year-old girl with Type 1 diabetes died as a result of her guardian’s neglect, South Carolina authorities said.

Now, 50-year-old Shirl Lee Sweeney is charged with unlawful conduct towards a child, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division said in an Oct. 10 news release.

Her attorney information wasn’t available in Charleston County records Oct. 10.

Sweeney was the guardian of a teenager who was diagnosed with diabetes in June 2021, according to arrest affidavits.

But Sweeney didn’t take the girl to her follow-up appointments, and the teen was hospitalized in September 2021 for her blood sugar, law enforcement said. Sweeney said the teen wouldn’t take her insulin, but medical staff told Sweeney that not taking insulin wasn’t an option, investigators said.

September 2021 was the last time the teen saw her pediatric endocrinologist or refilled her prescription for her evening insulin, according to law enforcement. Eleven months later, she died, investigators said.

Medical staff told Sweeney to look for certain warning signs of diabetic ketoacidosis, which can be fatal. But on Aug. 12, 2022, Sweeney is accused of failing to take the girl to the hospital after the teen vomited.

The next day, Sweeney found the teen on the bathroom floor and called 911, and dispatch heard her say, “I knew she shouldn’t (have) ... had that milkshake,” investigators said.

The girl was pronounced dead at the hospital.

The teen had lost nearly 40 pounds and had a blood glucose level of 953 mg/dL, authorities said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends calling 911 or going to the emergency room for blood sugar levels of 300 mg/dL and up.

Her death was ruled a homicide, according to law enforcement. Investigators said it was Sweeney’s responsibility as the girl’s guardian to make sure she took her insulin and went to doctor’s appointments.

McClatchy News reached out to South Carolina Law Enforcement Division for more details on the relationship between Sweeney and the teen but did not immediately receive a response.

This story was originally published October 10, 2024 at 4:24 PM with the headline "Woman neglected teen girl with diabetes until she died, South Carolina cops say."