Yes DKA Can Kill...

This story gave me shivers. Yes, diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) can kill. My son nearly died from it, and so did Barb Marche's (story below... just scroll a bit).

It's not uncommon for children newly diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes to end up in serious DKA. It's not the norm, but if the child had numerous MISdiagnoses as my son did, it happens. This is how little Jonathan Cooper ended up in a coma where he had a stroke.

The type of story I am about to share is less common. Whenever I read a story like this I wonder if there is something there I don't know. DKA does take awhile to develop.

Woman to serve 5 years in jail in daughter's death
Mom pleaded guilty to felonies in neglect of 11-month-old.

By Katie Merlie
March 28, 2007

NOBLESVILLE -- A former Noblesville woman was sentenced to spend five years in jail Tuesday morning after pleading guilty to charges stemming from the death of her 11-month-old daughter.

Hamilton County Superior Court 2 Judge Daniel Pfleging sentenced Amber Shanklin, 27, to eight years in the Indiana Department of Correction, with one year to be served in the Hamilton County Community Corrections' work-release program and two on probation. She also was credited for 304 days after spending 152 days in jail.

Shanklin, whose most-recent address was in the 90 block of South Brinton Street in Cicero, pleaded guilty on March 7 to neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury, a Class B felony. Another Class A felony of the same charge had been dismissed.

Sentencing for Shanklin's crime was supposed to be April 3, but her attorney, Andy Barker, said the court date was moved up because Shanklin is due to have her third child in two weeks.

In court documents, Noblesville Police Detective Mark Cruea stated that Shanklin's friend called for an ambulance on the morning of May 17, saying she discovered a dead baby girl in a home in the 1500 block of South 16th Street. Shanklin lived in the home with her brother, Jeremy Clonch.

Paramedics found Hallie Shanklin, who was described as lifeless and thin, in her bed.

Cruea said the girl was pronounced dead at Riverview Hospital.

Throughout the investigation, Cruea said, Shanklin and Clonch's friends described frightening scenes at the home on 16th Street.

The infant reportedly was spanked repeatedly and yelled at for screaming and crying. Court documents say Shanklin and Clonch were overheard talking about how they wish they could smother her or that she would just die so they wouldn't "have to put up with this (crying) anymore."

Hallie was diagnosed in December 2005 with Type 1 juvenile diabetes, and doctors ordered her mother to keep daily track of the child's glucose levels, give her insulin and closely watch her food intake.

Friends of the brother and sister told police that on May 16 they saw Shanklin put the crying child to bed. They never saw Hallie alive again.

Shanklin was arrested Oct. 26 on a warrant and has been in the Hamilton County Jail since.

This story is just troubling on so many levels.

The child ended up in serious DKA and starving to death. Just like people did before there was insulin.

There are no words.