10-Year-Old Girl Slipped into Fatal Diabetic Coma and Died on Family Road Trip. Her Mother Has Now Been Arrested and Charged

A Washington state mother has been arrested and charged in connection with the death of her 10-year-old daughter, who suffered from Type 1 diabetes.

In a news release on Friday, Nov. 21, the Kirkland Police Department (KPD) said a 42-year-old Kirkland, Wash., woman — identified in court records as Lloydina McAllister, per ABC News — was taken into custody on Nov. 4 following “an extensive investigation into the death of her 10-year-old daughter.”

The case came to the attention of authorities in July 2025, after the woman brought her deceased child to a hospital in Tacoma, Wash., prompting a referral from Child Protective Services, according to police.

Investigators determined that the girl, who had Type 1 diabetes, is believed to have died from “prolonged diabetic ketoacidosis,” a life-threatening emergency that can occur when a person does not receive enough insulin, per Mayo Clinic.

KPD said the child “slipped into a coma and died,” and that their investigation concluded the mother failed to obtain medical care for her daughter despite recognizing the symptoms. The department stated that “the lack of medical intervention contributed to the child’s death.”

The KPD and the King County Prosecutor’s Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment or for records related to the case.

According to probable cause documents cited by local outlets including The Seattle Times, KOMO News and KING 5, prosecutors allege that McAllister, her boyfriend and three children set out on a road trip to the Oregon–California border even though her daughter was already showing signs of diabetic ketoacidosis.

The girl’s insulin pump had reportedly registered high blood sugar levels before the trip, and she began vomiting shortly beforehand, the documents say. Prosecutors argue that McAllister should have recognized that her daughter was in serious danger, noting she had received prior training in managing the condition. The child’s condition allegedly worsened as the family continued driving.

The filing states that McAllister drove 714 miles and passed 31 hospitals while her daughter deteriorated, eventually slipping into a coma and dying in the backseat beside her siblings. According to the documents, the child had been dead for several hours by the time McAllister brought her to Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital on July 18.

McAllister told investigators she did not immediately seek medical care because a parenting agreement with the girl’s father prohibited her from taking the child out of state, The Seattle Times reported. She also allegedly claimed that it was her daughter’s responsibility to bring her own “life-saving kit,” according to the outlets.

The affidavit further notes that this was not the first episode of severe illness. The girl had reportedly been hospitalized four times for diabetic ketoacidosis after being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in February 2018, The Seattle Times reported.

KPD Police Chief Mike St. Jean described the case as “a complex and emotionally challenging investigation” and said the department remains “committed to protecting our community’s most vulnerable residents, especially children who cannot advocate for themselves.”

McAllister has been charged with first-degree manslaughter, according to police. She entered a not-guilty plea in King County Superior Court on Nov. 13.