A tragic incident has unfolded in Washington, where a young girl passed away due to complications from diabetes, allegedly because her mother did not provide timely medical treatment, as stated in a recent lawsuit.

Earlier this month, 42-year-old Lloydina McAllister was arrested and charged with first-degree manslaughter following the death of her 10-year-old daughter. McAllister has entered a plea of not guilty to the charges.

The Kirkland Police Department in Washington released a statement indicating that the child likely fell into a coma and died from diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). This severe diabetes complication occurs when the body lacks sufficient insulin, forcing it to convert fat into energy instead of sugar, which can be life-threatening.

DKA results in critically low levels of blood sugar and potassium, leading to potential cardiac arrest, brain swelling, and ultimately, death.

The criminal complaint outlines that the girl was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2018, a condition affecting nearly two million Americans. Since then, she had faced several hospitalizations due to diabetes-related issues.

Her most recent hospital visit was in May, during which McAllister reportedly received further training on managing her daughter’s diabetes. Concerns were raised previously, including reports from a teacher who noted the child often appeared at school with elevated blood sugar levels, according to court records.

Two months later, on July 17, McAllister and her daughter left for a road trip with McAllister’s boyfriend, her 12-year-old daughter and her one-year-old son.

Her diabetic daughter allegedly showed signs of DKA during the trip, which include extreme thirst, vomiting, stomach pain and fruit-scented breath. However, the group had traveled over 700 miles to Sacramento by the time they turned around and went back to Washington, according to court documents. It’s unclear why they went back.

An unidentified 10-year-old girl died from what investigators believe was prolonged diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a complication of her type 1 diabetes (stock image)

Prosecutors alleged McAllister allegedly drove past 31 hospitals while her daughter was dying in the back seat. 

According to the complaint, McAllister told police she could tell her daughter had high ketones, acids that build up in the body during DKA, but she did not seek help because she was not allowed to take the girl out of the state due to a parenting plan with the girl’s father. 

The mother was allegedly worried about facing the consequences of violating the plan, according to the complaint. 

A court document alleges that around 10am on July 18, McAllister texted her mother, who worked at a hospital in Tacoma, Washington, to tell her they were bringing her daughter. 

However, the girl died before they arrived at the hospital, according to a court document. Prosecutors said in the complaint that the girl had likely been dead in the back seat for hours, seated next to her brother and sister. 

Pictured above is the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office in Tacoma, Washington, which helped investigate the girl’s death

DKA is a medical emergency and is usually caused by missed insulin treatments or broken insulin equipment. Pneumonia and urinary tract infections also raise levels of the hormones adrenaline and cortisol, which work against the effects of insulin and raise DKA risk. 

DKA lands about 220,000 Americans in the hospital every year and kills several thousand, though exact numbers are unclear. 

A press release from the Kirkland Police Department issued last week reads: ‘Detectives concluded that the lack of medical intervention contributed to the child’s death and resulted in the mother’s arrest.’

Medical providers had allegedly reported concerns on how McAllister handled her daughter’s condition to Child Protective Services, according to court documents. These concerns included missed and canceled diabetes appointments. 

Cellphone records showed McAllister had searched on July 18 for ways to bring down blood sugar and ketones. Later that month, she allegedly searched for whether she needed a lawyer and how to delete messages from an iPhone.

After being arrested, she told police that she thought she had more time to get her daughter to the hospital, according to court documents. 

Minutes from McAllister’s arraignment state she is being represented by a public defender. The Daily Mail has reached out the lawyer for comment. 

Police Chief Mike St Jean said in the department’s press release: ‘This was a complex and emotionally challenging investigation.

‘The collaboration between our detectives, medical professionals, and prosecutors was essential in bringing clarity to what happened. We remain committed to protecting our community’s most vulnerable residents, especially children who cannot advocate for themselves.’ 

McAllister is being held at King County Correctional Facility on $1million bail, according to Kirkland Police Department. She has pleaded not guilty to first-degree manslaughter, and her trial is scheduled to begin next month.