Juicebox Podcast: Type 1 Diabetes, Episode #1792

“Best of Juicebox: School Nurse Mistake” — March 7, 2026
Host: Scott Benner
Guest: Lauren

Overview

This emotional and candid episode of the Juicebox Podcast centers around Lauren, a mother of three, who recounts a traumatic incident where her daughter with type 1 diabetes was overdosed on insulin at school by a veteran nurse. The conversation unfolds with raw honesty, gallows humor, and a deep dive into not only the events of that day but also Lauren’s unique family medical struggles. Beyond the terrifying school nurse mistake, the discussion reveals Lauren’s two other children have an ultra-rare genetic disorder affecting blood sugar regulation. The episode is a powerful exploration of parental advocacy, the limits and failures of institutional safeguards, and the resilience required when life lobs the unimaginable.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The School Nurse Insulin Overdose Incident

• Setting the Scene:

  • Lauren’s daughter, Lacey, age 7 at the time (now 9), has type 1 diabetes. (01:57)
  • On October 3, 2022, the school nurse administered 150 units of insulin instead of the correct 1.5 units needed to cover Lacey’s lunch. (02:00)
  • Lauren found two injection marks on Lacey's arm, triggering alarm. (05:04)

• Nurse’s Error and Immediate Confusion:

  • The nurse is described as a 40-year veteran, but had only used the Omnipod 5 pump with Lacey prior, never syringes. (04:03–04:46)
  • The nurse believed the syringe held “one unit” but it actually held 100 units — a basic misunderstanding of insulin syringes. (06:00–06:31)
  • Scott is incredulous:

    “She shot so much liquid into her. If I was her, I would have stopped and thought, like, could that little pot even hold all this?” (12:47)

  • Lauren was in shock, desperately trying to convince herself the nurse was right about the dosing. (07:51, 09:03)

• Emergency Response:

  • Lauren frantically gave Lacey gummies to stave off hypoglycemia and called her daughter’s endocrinologist for advice. (06:32–07:04)
  • Eventually, administered glucagon, rushed her home, then to the hospital.
    • Lacey was able to walk into the ER, blood sugar read 79—miraculous survival. (09:58–10:42)
    • IV dextrose was administered for 8 hours in the hospital; blood sugar kept dropping due to massive insulin overdose. (19:19–19:23)

• Aftermath and Institutional Failure:

  • Nurse initially refused to admit mistake, later apologized and was fired, but only after Lauren “demanded” her removal. (14:21, 22:27)
  • The school administration downplayed the gravity of the event. Lauren had to argue fiercely for accountability. (15:15–15:55)
  • Medical and legal hurdles:
    • No successful lawsuit due to Lacey’s survival: “All the lawyers said, oh, well, because she didn't die, you pretty much don't really have a case.” (19:23–19:41)
    • The state later pursued its own investigation. (20:03)

• Reflective Takeaways:

  • Scott, on the emotional charge:

    “I’m trying to juxtapose your reaction to my brain, and I can’t find any sense in it because I would have been shooting glucagon with one hand and choking that lady with my other one.” (11:58)

  • Lauren describes lingering trust and anxiety issues, and deepened overprotectiveness of her daughter in medical settings. (25:24–25:57)
  • Scott underscores:

    “You getting there when you did absolutely saved your daughter's life.” (23:32)

2. Living with Rare Genetic Disease in the Family

• Hypoglycemia Disorder in Siblings:

  • Lauren’s two other children (ages 2 and 6) have dopamine beta hydroxylase deficiency, a condition with only ~30 known cases worldwide. (26:37–27:02, 39:12)
  • The disease causes complete deficiency of adrenaline/norepinephrine—leading to severe, life-threatening hypoglycemia and other autonomic issues. (26:51, 29:35–30:09)

• Management and Daily Life:

  • Both “hypo” kids require feeding every 2–3 hours, even overnight, to avoid fatal sugar drops. (28:41–29:01)
  • All three children wear Dexcom CGMs for continuous monitoring. (30:09)
  • Sleep is a constant anxiety due to risk of “shutting off.”

    “Honestly, my younger two would not be here if I was not completely, like...” (30:59)

• Medical Rarity and Advocacy:

  • Lauren describes the labyrinth of misdiagnosis, leading to genome sequencing and eventual identification of their rare disease. (35:34–36:14)
  • She advocates for other families with similar “POTS-like” symptoms to look into rare diagnoses. (61:08)
  • Medication options are experimental—her daughter is the first child on a key drug (droxidopa). (40:45–41:01)

3. Coping, Humor, and the Weight of Maternal Responsibility

• Gallows Humor as Survival:

  • The episode is laced with dark jokes and banter as both host and guest admit it’s the only way to get through such trauma. (Throughout)
  • Lauren:

    “If you don't laugh, you'll cry.” (68:10)

  • Scott admits the humor keeps him—and listeners—from breaking down during such a harrowing story. (57:25–58:13)

• Impact on Mental Health & Family Dynamics:

  • Lauren admits to “not being okay, but hanging in there.” (31:54)
  • She and her husband check in on each other regularly. (63:19–63:20)
  • Therapy is part of her coping toolkit.

    “I did do therapy for a while, and, you know, that’s why I’m here today.” (32:21)

• Philosophical Reflections:

  • Both Scott and Lauren discuss whether, knowing what she knows now, she would do it again—she’s honest about the toll:

    “I can't say with 100% certainty, but I don't know if I could go through it all again.” (64:51)

  • The tension between loving her children and wishing away their suffering is a persistent undertone.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the magnitude of the nurse’s error:

  “She gave her not only one full syringe, 100 units, she also gave her another 50 units on top.”
  — Lauren (07:21)

• Facing the unimaginable:

  “You getting there when you did absolutely saved your daughter's life.”
  — Scott (23:32)

• On defensive parenting:

  “Jesus Christ, I'd be wrapping that kid in bubble wrap and armor.”
  — Scott (26:05)

• On generational odds:

  “Thirty people… I’m telling you, they said it was astronomical that we found each other and we’re not related.”
  — Lauren (27:39)

• On the perennial darkness:

  “If you don’t laugh, you’ll cry.”
  — Lauren (68:10)

• On living with uncertainty:

  “Everything that's happened in my life was not technically my fault. You know what I mean? And so I didn't want to cause something.”
  — Lauren (47:08)

• On the utility of humor:

  “The joking around and the laughing part is so that I don’t cry while we’re talking about it, in case you’re wondering.”
  — Scott (58:13)

• On future apprehensions:

  “It's going to be a 24/7 situation... You're going to think about this every goddamn day for the rest of your life. And that's not fair to you. It's not fair to them.”
  — Scott (48:09)

• Closing levity:

  “You should find a hundred dollars on the ground every five hours.”
  — Scott (62:21)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [01:57] Lauren introduces her family and the school nurse story
• [05:04] Discovery of the overdose; confusion about syringe sizes
• [06:32] Initial responses, panic, and realization
• [09:58] The emergency glucagon and trip to the hospital
• [14:21] Aftermath—firing of nurse and school’s reluctance
• [23:32] Scott and Lauren agree Lauren’s quick action saved her daughter's life
• [26:37] Introduction to rare family genetic disorder
• [29:03] The severity of hypoglycemia in her younger children
• [39:12] Explaining dopamine beta hydroxylase deficiency
• [47:08] Choosing not to terminate subsequent pregnancies
• [57:25] Reflections on parental perseverance and public understanding
• [61:08] Advocating for rare disease testing (POTS overlap)
• [68:10] The role of dark humor in survival

Tone and Style

The conversation seamlessly blends the serious with the irreverent—Scott’s quick wit and Lauren’s dark humor illuminate without trivializing the very real pain and stress of her experiences. Both guest and host are unapologetically honest about trauma, resilience, and the messy human realities of chronic illness and rare disease parenting.

Takeaways for Listeners

• Double check all school and third-party diabetes care arrangements; even experienced professionals can make catastrophic mistakes.
• Never underestimate a parent’s intuition—Lauren’s timely intervention likely saved her daughter’s life.
• Advocate fiercely for your child’s medical safety, and do not be afraid to escalate when administrators minimize concerns.
• Rare disorders often go undiagnosed; parents should trust their instincts and push for answers.
• The importance of humor and honest emotional processing in managing chronic, traumatic, and rare disease realities.

Final Thoughts

This episode is a masterclass in facing unthinkable parenting challenges with unflinching honesty. Lauren’s story is a sobering reminder: mistakes, even from “experts,” can have life-or-death consequences—and the emotional and practical load on parents of medically complex children is staggering. But through grit, advocacy, and laughter, families like Lauren’s demonstrate the possibility of surviving—and even finding meaning—in the chaos.

For more such conversations and diabetes resources, visit JuiceboxPodcast.com.