28-Year-Old, 'Epitome Of Health,' Dies Of Heart Attack; Mom Blames One Habit

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28-Year-Old, 'Epitome Of Health,' Dies Of Heart Attack; Mom Blames One Habit​

Published Mar 26, 2025 1:48 AM EDT By Suneeta Sunny

A 28-year-old Florida woman hailed as a "workout queen" and an "epitome of health" followed a strict regimen of clean eating and regular exercise—yet she tragically died of a heart attack. Now, her grieving mother is speaking out, blaming one surprising habit for her daughter's unexpected death.

Katie Donnell, a dedicated teacher from Florida, was meticulous about her health. She ate only organic foods, maintained a disciplined workout routine, and had no known heart conditions. But in August 2021, while spending time with friends, she suddenly collapsed. Despite efforts to save her, she died of a heart attack, leaving loved ones in shock and searching for answers.

Despite her commitment to a healthy lifestyle, Donnell regularly consumed up to three energy drinks a day, along with coffee, and often took a caffeine supplement before hitting the gym. Her mother, Lori Barranon, believes this excessive intake of highly caffeinated products played a deadly role in her daughter's tragic passing.

"At 28, you just don't see people dropping dead of a heart attack. She was a workout queen, she ate real clean, she ate organic food, she was the epitome of health other than [having energy drinks]," Barranon recently told Kennedy News Media.

Although doctors acknowledged that they often see similar cases in people who frequently consume pre-workout supplements and energy drinks, they did not directly link Donnell's death to her caffeine intake. However, for her mother, the connection is undeniable. "I know for a fact that was what was wrong with her," she said.

Donnell had struggled with "horrible anxiety" and had even consulted doctors about it. Looking back, Barranon believes her daughter's excessive caffeine intake may have been a major contributing factor.

The heartbroken mom is now on a mission to raise awareness about the dangers of excessive caffeine consumption and urges parents to be vigilant, warning that energy drinks and supplements can have devastating consequences.

"If you don't keep your kids away from this stuff you may be in my situation where your life is ruined. It's so harmful and deadly, my whole family is affected by this. I beg people to counsel your kids and watch what they're doing, I thought I was," she said.

"I tell everybody I see with energy drinks that this is what it can do in the blink of an eye," she added.

 

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Who was Katie Donnell? Heart attack kills Florida ‘workout queen' at 28, and her mom blames energy drinks​

BySumanti Sen
Mar 26, 2025 07:56 AM IST

A fitness and caffeine enthusiast, 28, reportedly died from a heart attack. Katie Donnell’s grieving mother now believes energy drinks are responsible for her daughter’s death.

Heart attack kills Florida ‘workout queen' at 28, and her mom blames energy drinks (Pixabay - representational image)
Donnell was committed to a healthy lifestyle. However, she often drank three energy drinks a day. She took a caffeine supplement before hitting the gym.

“At 28, you just don’t see people dropping dead of a heart attack,” Donnell’s 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 was a Florida teacher. Her mother said that Donnell may have believed that the energy drinks and caffeine would give her more energy, according to The Daily Mail. “She thought it'd help her work out and give her more energy. She was working out, working full-time and going to school,” Barranon. 63, said. “I think she got used to the buzz.”

Barranon claimed that her daughter did not really have any health issues. However, Donnell did deal with really bad anxiety.

“She had horrible anxiety and went to several doctors,” Barranon said. “I don’t think it was real anxiety, I think it was her abuse of caffeine and energy drinks.”

Donnell collapsed while hanging out with her friends in August 2021. The pals initially thought she may have suffered a stroke, and called an ambulance. However, it was 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.”

Donnell’s seizures worsened after she spent as many as 10 days in a medically induced coma. Her family then had to make the tough decision to take her off 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.”

Barranon said that Donnell “was drinking a lot of coffee” and “would buy a four-pack [of drinks] every two to three days.”

The heartbroken mother sounded the alarm so that other families do not have to face such tragedies. “If you don’t keep your kids away from this stuff you may be in my situation where your life is ruined. It’s so harmful and deadly, my whole family is affected by this,” Barranon said.

“I beg people to counsel your kids and watch what they’re doing, I thought I was. I tell everybody I see with energy drinks that this is what it can do in the blink of an eye,” she added.

 

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Caffeinated ‘workout queen’ dies from heart attack at 28 as heartbroken mom warns ‘keep your kids away from this stuff’​

By
Diana Bruk
Published March 25, 2025, 5:03 p.m. ET

nypost.com

A fitness and caffeine enthusiast died at the age of 28 from a heart attack — and her devastated mother believes energy drinks are to blame.

Florida teacher Katie Donnell was committed to a healthy lifestyle — even as she often drank three energy drinks a day and took a caffeine supplement before hitting the gym.

Katie Donnell was a fitness enthusiast who also drank up to three energy drinks a day. Kennedy News and Media

“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].”

Barranon, 63, claimed her daughter did not have health issues apart from really bad 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.”

Her mother, Lori Barranon, claims she was perfectly healthy otherwise. Kennedy News and Media

See Also​

Poison control centers report shocking 20% hike in calls for kids chugging energy drinks​

Donnell was spending time with friends in August 2021 when she suddenly fell to the ground as her eyes rolled to the back of her head.

Her pals initially mistook the episode as a stroke.

They called an ambulance — but it was 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 10 days in a medically induced coma, her seizures worsened.

Her family had to make the heartbreaking decision to take her off life support.

“She was without oxygen for too long and it caused brain damage,” Barranon said of Donnell. Kennedy News and Media

See Also​

Your workplace coffee maker may be putting you at risk for a heart attack: study​

“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.”

It’s unclear the brand or type of energy drinks Donnell consumed.

While moderate caffeine intake can enhance alertness and physical performance, it can also raise blood pressure, spike heart rate and exacerbate anxiety — none of which is good for heart health.

While rare, others have died of caffeine overdoses.

In 2018, 21-year-old Australian musician Lachlan Foote died of caffeine toxicity after adding a teaspoon of caffeine powder to a protein shake.

“If you don’t keep your kids away from this stuff you may be in my situation where your life is ruined,” Barranon said. Kennedy News and Media

See Also​

The ideal time to drink coffee for peak energy levels — and how many cups you should have a day​

While she ultimately survived, 20-year-old Jazmin Garza was put on life support last year after having just a few sips of an energy drink before a workout.

Recent research reports that consuming over 400 milligrams of caffeine a day can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in otherwise healthy people.

“For most adults, up to 400 mg of caffeine per day is considered safe,” nutritionist Nichola Ludlam-Raine previously told The Post.

 

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Woman Who Drank Up to 3 Energy Drinks Daily Dies From Heart Attack​

The "workout queen" also suffered brain damage after collapsing during her heart attack.​

JAELANI TURNER-WILLIAMS
MARCH 26, 2025

MICHAEL TRAN / AFP

www.complex.com

A Florida woman drank up to three energy drinks per day before she died from a heart attack in August 2021.

The deceased woman, Katie Donnell, was a teacher from Florida and "workout queen" who regularly consumed coffee and caffeine supplements before workouts. But Donnell's mother, Lori Barranon, blamed energy drinks as the reason for her child's passing in a new interview with the Daily Mail.

"She thought it'd help her work out and give her more energy. She was working out, working full-time and going to school," Barranon told the UK outlet. "I think she got used to the buzz."

It was in August 2021 that Donnell was spending time with friends when she suffered from a heart attack and could not be revived when the ambulance arrived. "She was without oxygen for too long and it caused brain damage. They worked on her for three hours and she never woke up," her mother recalled.

Donnell was placed in a medically induced coma for ten days, but when her "body started to fail," her family made the "horrible" decision to take her off life support.

"Her boyfriend said she would buy a four-pack [of energy drinks] every two to three days. Not to mention she was drinking a lot of coffee," Barranon said.

She continued, "One of her friends said she'd hardly see Katie without an energy drink in her hands. When I cleaned out her car after she passed it was full of cans, at least three or four in there."

Energy drink consumers are urged to have them in moderation, with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommending up to 400 mg daily in healthy adults. The overconsumption of caffeine can affect heart health, potentially causing heart failure, arrhythmia, and increased blood pressure.