Trial Begins for Woman Accused of Killing Her Diabetic Daughter

Before I get into the story, let me make a correction on yesterday's post. I said that the title "A Clockwork Orange" was successful because it made the reader wonder what a clockwork orange might be. According to an English acquaintance of mine: "In England when it was published it would have come under your category of 'Using Slang'. The popular expression was as queer (in the sense of 'odd') as a clockwork orange."

Mea culpa.

Moving onward, this story is QUITE disturbing. When our son was first diagnosed, one of the first things I heard about was this story. Knowing that what we had just dealt with was undiagnosed DKA (since we didn't know he had diabetes and had endured a number of incorrect diagnoses by our ill-informed pediatrician), I was horrified that something like this could have happened to him.

Now, Cheryl Botzet is finally on trial. I feel very much for this mother who lost her daughter, but there are huge gaps in the defense's logic. My understanding is that serious DKA, coma and death do not just jump into being. They develop over several days. I hope I am right. I would like to think we parents have a decent amount of time to observe and treat these symptoms, for fuck's sake.

Cheryl Botzet's Ex-Husband First to Take The Stand
Oct 18, 2005, 10:45 PM MST

The case is underway against Cheryl Botzet the mother accused of killing her daughter by failing to treat her diabetes. Botzet's 11-year-old daughter Ariel died in Feb. of 2004. The state contends it was because her mother didn't properly regulate her insulin.

After opening statements Tuesday morning at the new Regional Justice Center, the first person to be called to the stand was Cheryl Botzet's ex-husband Randy Botzet.

Botzet became emotional remembering his last conversation with his 11-year-old daughter Ariel. She had wanted to go swimming in early February but because she sounded sick on the phone he forbade her to go.

It was days later that Ariel was taken to the hospital by her mother because she thought she had the flu.

Randy Botzet said, "She said she had the flu and she was throwing up."

Both the prosecution and defense pointed out to the jury that vomiting was a danger sign for diabetics like Ariel because it showed high levels of blood sugar, which turned out to be deadly in this case....{{more}}