Tattoo-covered prom queen dies after refusing to treat diabetes over fear of needles

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Ruth McKee - The Daily Star




A TATTOO-covered prom queen who refused to treat her Type 1 diabetes as she “didn’t do needles” has died.

Natasha Horne, 20, slipped into a fatal diabetic coma after ditching her life-saving injections.

She kept her illness from pals as she diced with death by dodging medication even though she also had piercings.

Mum Jackie, 43, said: “For a girl covered in tattoos and piercings, she hated needles.

“And she was stubborn. If she didn’t want to do something, she wouldn’t do it.”



Her mum, and dad Stephen, fear she loved the weight loss that was triggered by the disease.

They believe Natasha, from Middlesbrough, may have wrongly thought insulin injections would put weight back on.

Jackie said: “We were getting so concerned because of the rapidity of the weight loss. She lost around half her body weight in two to three months.

“She went from a size 22 to a size 10 in six months.”

A chance visit to a pharmacist saw her diagnosed with the blood-sugar condition in October last year.

With her body crying out for insulin, she collapsed three times and was rushed to hospital.

Jackie and Stephen now hope their daughter’s death will raise awareness.

She added: “If we can prevent one set of parents having to go through what we’re going through, it will be worth it.”