Following the sad death of her daughter at just 28 years old, an Orlando, Florida, grieving mother is warning others about the risks of energy drinks. After her daughter Katie Donnell died suddenly on August 9, 2021, Lori Barranon is pushing for a ban on these extremely caffeinated beverages.
“If you don’t keep your kids away from these things,” Barranon advises other parents, “you may find yourself in my situation where your life is heartbroken”. This is dangerous and destructive; my whole family suffers from it. Reflecting on her monitoring, she encourages others to check what their children eat.
Along with pre-workout pills and plenty of coffee to complement her exercise treatment, Donnell was a fitness fanatic who allegedly drank up to three energy drinks every day. “She would start with a pre-workout before either work or the gym for cardio at five in the morning,”
Barranon said. “till after she passed, I had no idea how much she was consuming. Her lover said she would get a four-pack every couple of days.”
Friends said Katie was hardly seen without an energy drink in hand. Barranon found several empty cans in her daughter’s car after her death, suggesting the degree of consumption. “She felt these drinks would boost her workouts and give more energy,” the mother said.
Donnell also visited a doctor for acute anxiety, which Barranon believes was related to her high coffee usage. “I think her caffeine abuse caused it; I don’t think it was real anxiety,” she said. “Doctors never asked about her diet. Her anxiety went away when she changed her diet and cut out energy drinks.”
Donnell had a heart attack while out with friends, even though she had no known heart problems. Before Barranon had to make the terrible decision to turn off the machines, she spent ten days on life support. “I felt startled. I hated energy drinks, but I never thought they might be lethal. Barron said.
When Donnell collapsed, emergency responders first believed she had a stroke, but they soon discovered she had a heart attack. She suffered brain damage throughout the episode from a lack of oxygen. She did not come to despite great efforts to revive her.
Barranon, just 28 years old, pointed out that someone so young would not often experience such a serious medical incident. With circumstances from the energy drinks, she said, “She was fit, ate clean food, and lived healthily.” Medical experts have reported that comparable occurrences are becoming rather common among those who take significant quantities of pre-workout vitamins and energy drinks.
Healthline claims that too much energy drink use might cause major heart arrhythmias and high blood pressure, among other cardiovascular issues. While some energy drinks contain over 500 milligrams per serving, which can cause caffeine toxicity, the advised daily limit for caffeine is 100 milligrams for teens and 400 milligrams for @dults.
Barranon is now driven to spread knowledge on the possible hazards connected to energy drinks. By telling her daughter’s tale, she hopes people will see the threats and act to stop such tragedies.