‘I don’t believe in insulin’: 80-year-old grandma dies after granddaughter swaps diabetes medication for supplements and ‘prayers,’ gets slap on wrist from judge

A Wisconsin woman was sentenced to nine months in prison and six years of probation for swapping out her 80-year-old grandmother’s diabetic medication for supplements and “prayers” she peddled on social media — leading to the octogenarian’s death. Prosecutors had asked for more than half a decade.

“I argued for six years in prison,” Marathon County Assistant District Attorney Sidney Brubacher told Law&Crime on Thursday after Kandise L. Sheahen, 38, of Wausau, was sentenced by Marathon County Circuit Judge Suzanne O’Neill a day earlier for her grandmother’s 2022 death.

“I laid out the seriousness of the defense, how she knew she was doing something wrong and tried to cover it up, how she was a nurse who was fired for not getting vaccinated and continued treating patients without having the authority to,” Brubacher said, calling Sheahen — who was a licensed nurse in Wisconsin — a “danger” to society and the public.

“The judge just ignored me completely,” Brubacher told Law&Crime. “Said she thought she wasn’t a danger to the public.”

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Sheahen was found guilty in May of negligently subjecting an individual at risk to abuse, causing death, according to court records. The American Diabetes Association reports that glucose levels must remain at 154 or less; Sheahen’s grandmother had levels around 600 when she died, per prosecutors.

It took jurors a little over two hours to convict Sheahen, with Brubacher saying he provided two days of testimony and evidence, including audio of Sheahen talking about what she did “from one of her social media posts,” per the ADA.

“My goal in doing this is truly to be the hands and feet of Jesus,” Sheahen said in one recording, which was obtained by police. “I truly want to help people. And I want them to get off all the crap that the healthcare system puts them on. Because what I’m finding out, what I found out with grandma when I took over her care … she was on 18 different pills. She was on 70 some units of the long-acting insulin twice a day, and like 30 or 40 of the short-acting. And as time has went on and the more knowledge I’ve gained and the more strength I’ve gotten from God, I’ve realized that hold on, like let’s, we don’t need this much. This is ridiculous.”

In another post, Sheahen said: “12 days on Q Core … grandma is down on her insulin and off her Tylenol.” Brubacher told Law&Crime that Sheahen would often call out social media users for not following the same path as her.

“Trust Jesus, say your prayers, and take your vitamins,” Sheahen proclaimed.

“Diane, get Gus off his f—ing insulin before he gets sick,” she told one social media user, according to Brubacher.

“This is not a nice person,” the prosecutor said. “She clearly and repeatedly said, ‘I don’t believe in insulin, I think the medical practice is letting people down.’ So yeah, she’s a threat to the public.”

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According to prosecutors, Sheahen’s grandmother — who has not been publicly named by the DA’s office — was on diabetic medication for about 30 years before her granddaughter decided to switch things up. The supplements she started giving the woman have not been disclosed by prosecutors, but they were supposed to replace 70 units of long-acting insulin that Sheahen’s grandmother was taking daily, and 30 to 40 units of short-acting insulin.

Police responded to Sheahen’s home in Wausau on Jan. 8, 2022, and found the elderly woman dying. Sheahen told first responders she didn’t want her grandma to be transported to a hospital, despite her having an elevated blood sugar level. Paramedics were also prevented from taking vitals.

Brubacher condemned Sheahen’s actions as “predatory behavior” and said her family is “split” on whether to support her or not. Some feel as though what she did was right, while others believe she has “problems,” per the ADA.

“I don’t think the family will ever come together,” Brubacher told Law&Crime. “A lot of the family who are in support of her gave statements for her [at the sentencing hearing]. And then there are other family members who think it’s just a travesty and joke. They thought nine months in prison and probation was a slap in their face.”

An autopsy performed on Sheahen’s grandmother showed that she died from diabetic ketoacidosis. Brubacher told Law&Crime that Sheahen tried getting her grandma cremated “within 24 hours” of her dying, but was stopped by a family member who felt “something was not right” with the decision — leading them to call police.

“She would have gotten away with it,” Brubacher concluded.

The post ‘I don’t believe in insulin’: 80-year-old grandma dies after granddaughter swaps diabetes medication for supplements and ‘prayers,’ gets slap on wrist from judge first appeared on Law & Crime.