A 28-year-old woman, passionate about fitness and caffeine, died from a heart attack—her heartbroken mother suspects energy drinks played a role in her death. Florida teacher Katie Donnell was dedicated to maintaining a healthy lifestyle—although she often used to drink three energy drinks daily and took a caffeine supplement before her workouts.
"At 28, you just don't see people dropping dead of a heart attack," her mother, Lori 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]." Donnell's death her left her friends and family shocked.
Shocking Death Blamed on Energy Drinks
Barranon, 63, said that her daughter was generally healthy and didn't have any health issues. aside from suffering from severe anxiety. "She had horrible anxiety and went to several doctors," she said. "I don't think it was real anxiety, I think it was her abuse of caffeine and energy drinks."
In August 2021, while spending time with friends, Donnell suddenly collapsed, as her eyes rolled back of her head. At first, her friends thought she was having a stroke.
They immediately called an ambulance—but help arrived too late.
"She was without oxygen for too long and it caused brain damage," Barranon said. "They worked on her for three hours, and she never woke up."
After spending 10 days in a medically induced coma, her seizures became more severe. Her family was faced with the heartbreaking choice to remove her from life support.
"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."
Exact Cause of Death Still Unclear
The specific brand or type of energy drinks Donnell consumed remains unknown. Although moderate caffeine consumption can boost alertness and physical performance, it may also increase blood pressure, elevate heart rate, and worsen anxiety—all of which can negatively impact heart health.
Although rare, fatalities from caffeine overdoses have occurred.
In 2018, 21-year-old Australian musician Lachlan Foote died from caffeine toxicity after mixing a teaspoon of caffeine powder into a protein shake.
Although she ultimately survived, 20-year-old Jazmin Garza was placed on life support last year after taking only a few sips of an energy drink before exercising.
Recent studies indicate that consuming more than 400 milligrams of caffeine daily can raise the risk of cardiovascular disease, even in otherwise healthy individuals.
In the U.S., most energy drinks contain between 100 and 300 milligrams of caffeine, though some brands have even higher amounts.
Barranon said her daughter "was drinking a lot of coffee" and "would buy a four-pack [of drinks] every two to three days."
Now, the grieving mother is raising awareness in hopes of preventing other families from experiencing the same tragedy.
