Scarlett Pullen stands alongside her 12-year-old daughter R.A. at the offices of the Mavani Hernandez Law Firm, Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Carrollton.
Elías Valverde II/The Dallas Morning News
A Dallas mother has filed a lawsuit against a Texas camp for children with diabetes, alleging staff failed to promptly respond after her daughter suffered a brain injury during summer camp.
Scarlett Pullen, 34, filed the lawsuit against the Southwestern Diabetic Foundation, which operates Camp Sweeney in Whitesboro, 82 miles north of Dallas. The suit alleges the camp failed to properly supervise campers, provide adequate medical care after an assault involving another camper and to promptly notify the child’s parents about her injuries.
The lawsuit says the 10-year-old, identified in court documents as R.A., was attending Camp Sweeney in June 2024 when another camper allegedly physically assaulted her while she was under the camp’s supervision.
The lawsuit accuses the camp and its staff of negligence, gross negligence and negligent supervision, training and staffing.
Zhora Mavani, Pullen’s attorney, said parents choose diabetes-specific camps because they are expected to have medically trained staff who can monitor blood sugar levels and quickly respond to emergencies involving children with Type 1 diabetes.
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Camp Sweeney has operated for decades and serves children with Type 1 diabetes from across Texas and other states. Families often choose diabetes-focused camps because they are designed to provide medical oversight and support for children managing insulin levels and blood sugar fluctuations.
Camp Sweeney and the Southwestern Diabetic Foundation did not immediately respond to The Dallas Morning News’ email and phone call requests for comment as of Thursday.
Pullen said parents trust camps like Camp Sweeney because of the medical needs involved.
“Type 1 diabetes can be very lonely,” she said. “You want to be around people that know what you’re going through.”
Scarlett Pullen becomes emotional as she speaks with The Dallas Morning News at the offices of the Mavani Hernandez Law Firm, Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Carrollton. Pullen said the injuries to her child have changed her way of life. “She went from being a multisport athlete to having to learn how to walk again.”
Elías Valverde II/The Dallas Morning News
Pullen said, she still does not know what happened when her child was injured, which makes her more scared.
Mavani told The News this week that her client has not received any response from the camp regarding what led to her daughter’s injuries.
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Pullen said she first learned something was wrong after receiving a call from camp medical staff around 10 a.m. the day after the alleged assault.
“They called and said, ‘She’s OK,’ but then they started describing symptoms that didn’t sound OK,” Pullen said in an interview with The News.
Pullen said the staff told her that her daughter had nausea, headaches, and other symptoms after the incident. Pullen became concerned when camp staff told her they believed the child would likely still be able to participate in activities later that day, including skateboarding.
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“My thing as a parent is, what if I had just trusted what they were saying?” Pullen said. “What if she went skateboarding and fell again?”
Pullen said staff initially told her parents were not allowed to speak directly with campers after incidents because it could further upset them. When she was eventually allowed to speak with her daughter by phone, she said the child sounded disoriented.
“She was slurring her words,” Pullen said. “At one point, she asked me if I heard people screaming.”
Pullen said she immediately drove to the camp to pick up her daughter after speaking with her on the phone.
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“When they brought her down, she was stumbling,” she said. “She wasn’t walking correctly.”
Pullen took her daughter to Children’s Medical Center Dallas, where doctors admitted her for several days and ran tests.
Doctors later diagnosed the child with a brain bleed, Pullen said.
The lawsuit alleges the child also suffered serious bodily injuries that required medical evaluation and treatment.
Recovery after the injury
Pullen said the weeks and months after the hospitalization were difficult for the family. R.A. underwent months of physical occupational and speech therapy.
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Before the injury, Pullen said her daughter was active in competitive gymnastics and played soccer, softball and flag football.
“She went from being a multisport athlete to having to learn how to walk again.”
Pullen said doctors and therapists also monitored memory and speech issues after the injury.
“She didn’t know her last name when we were at the ER,” Pullen said. “She forgot the names of our pets and her best friend at the time.”
The lawsuit seeks monetary relief between $250,000 and $1 million.