A community has been deeply saddened by the untimely passing of an 18-year-old student who collapsed during her high school graduation ceremony.
According to heart-wrenching reports, 18-year-old Sienna Stewart was diagnosed with heart failure in April. Sienna had a heart transplant ten years ago due to severe cardiomyopathy she had been battling since she was just 4 years old. This transplant had allowed her to lead a relatively normal life for a decade, but earlier this year, she began to experience a decline in her health.
Sienna’s mother, Saevon Chum, shared that her daughter started experiencing episodes of collapsing. One of these episodes occurred on Thursday, May 23, 2024, during Sienna’s graduation ceremony.
A video from Hiram High School captures the school principal urgently saying, “Just give us a second please, we have a student, just give us a second…”
By the time Saevon arrived, paramedics were already attending to her daughter. Saevon recalled, “When I got there, the ambulance was already there. She had collapsed and had another episode. But this was the first time she collapsed unconscious.”
Miraculously, Sienna regained consciousness a few minutes later and eventually chose to attend her graduation ceremony instead of going to the hospital. Saevon shared, “All she could tell me is, ‘I just want to graduate, I want to walk.’ That’s all she wanted, because she already missed her prom, because before then she was in the hospital and missed her senior prom.”
Tragically, Sienna passed away on Wednesday, June 12, just a few weeks after receiving her diploma.
Reflecting on Sienna’s strength and determination, Saevon said, “As a mom, you feel so proud because she just fought through something that hurts her. You have to be proud. Till the end, I was proud.”
Sienna’s obituary mentions that she had plans to attend college and study to become a sonogram technician in the fall.
Rest in peace, Sienna Stewart.
