A community is grieving the loss of 18-year-old Sienna Stewart, who tragically passed away just weeks after collapsing during her high school graduation ceremony.
Diagnosed with heart failure in April, Sienna had lived with severe cardiomyopathy since the age of 4. A heart transplant ten years ago had allowed her to lead a “relatively normal life” until she began experiencing health issues earlier this year.
Sienna’s mother, Saevon Chum, shared that her daughter had been experiencing episodes of collapsing. On Thursday, May 23, 2024, during her graduation ceremony, Sienna collapsed again.
In a video shared by Hiram High School, the principal can be heard addressing the crowd: “Just give us a second please, we have a student, just give us a second…”
When Saevon arrived, paramedics were already attending to Sienna. “When I got there, the ambulance was already there,” she recalled. “She had collapsed. She had had another episode. But this was the first time she collapsed unconscious.”
Sienna regained consciousness a few minutes later and chose to continue attending her graduation ceremony instead of going to the hospital.
“All she could tell me is, ‘I just want to graduate, I want to walk.’ That’s all she wanted because she had already missed her prom, having been in the hospital,” Saevon said.
Tragically, Sienna passed away on Wednesday, June 12, a few short weeks after receiving her diploma. “As a mom, you feel so proud because she just fought through something that hurt her. You have to be proud. Till the end, I was proud,” Saevon said.
According to Sienna’s obituary, she had planned to attend college in the fall to study sonogram technology.
Rest in peace, Sienna Stewart. Your strength and determination will always be remembered.
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