Mother Lori Barranon, 63, is left in anguish as her daughter, Katie Donnell suddenly passed away at age 28. Barranon believes that a certain drink her daughter drank was the culprit, given that Donnell was “fitness mad” and was “the epitome of health.”
Out of nowhere, Donnell suffered a heart attack that led to her eventual passing and agony for Barranon.
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How she got to this point
When Donnel was out with friends in 2021, she suddenly had a heart attack and was rushed to the hospital. She was put on life support for 10 days until the painful decision came where they sadly had to switch off the support on August 9, 2021.
Her friends thought it was a stroke
By the time her friends called the ambulance, it was too late. “She was without oxygen for too long and it caused brain damage. They worked on her for three hours, and she never woke up,” Barranon said.
Barranon believes that the drink is the reason
She explained that her daughter has never had any underlying health or heart conditions as her daughter always worked out.
So, the only explanation Barranon has is that Donnell’s death was due to the energy drinks and caffeine she consumed.
She dubbed her “a workout queen”
“At 28, you just don’t see people dropping dead of a heart attack,” Barranon recently told Kennedy News & Media.
“She was a workout queen, she ate real clean, she ate organic food, she was the epitome of health other than [having energy drinks],” the mother continued.
Doctors weighed in
“Doctors said they see this happen a lot with people that do a lot of pre-workout or energy drinks, but they wouldn’t give the cause of death to that,” Barranon said.
“I know for a fact that was what was wrong with her,” she added, without specifying the brand or type of energy drinks Donnell consumed before her death.
Caffeine is a double-edged sword
While moderate caffeine intake can increase alertness and improve physical performance, if drunk to excess, can lead to cardiovascular problems such as high blood pressure, heart arrhythmias, and heart attacks, according to Healthline.
Nutritionist Nichola Ludlam-Raine previously told The New York Post that “up to 400 mg of caffeine per day is considered safe,” more than that can lead to caffeine toxicity.
