18-Year-Old Tragically Dies Weeks After Collapsing at High School Graduation

A community has been left in mourning after the untimely death of an 18-year-old high schooler who collapsed at her graduation ceremony.

As per tragic reports, 18-year-old Sienna Stewart was diagnosed with heart failure in April after receiving a transplant ten years ago. Sienna had lived with severe cardiomyopathy since the age of 4 and began โ€œgetting sickโ€ earlier this year.

The aforementioned transplant had reportedly allowed her to live a โ€œrelatively normal life for 10 years,โ€ but the young woman then started โ€œgetting weak and slowing down.โ€

Mom Saevon Chum revealed that her daughter experienced episodes where she would collapse, and she suffered one such episode at her graduation on Thursday, May 23, 2024.

In a video shared by Hiram High School, the school principal can be heard shouting: โ€œJust give us a second please, we have a student, just give us a second…โ€

When Saevon arrived, paramedics were already attending her daughter. โ€œWhen I got there, the ambulance was already there,โ€ the mom recalled. โ€œShe had collapsed. She had had another episode. But this was the first time she collapsed unconscious.โ€

Sienna regained consciousness a few minutes later, and ultimately decided to attend her ceremony instead of traveling to the hospital.

โ€œAll she could tell me is, โ€˜I just want to graduate, I want to walk.โ€™ Thatโ€™s all she wanted, because she already missed her prom, because before then she was in the hospital and missed her senior prom,โ€ Saevonย said.

Tragically, Sienna died Wednesday, June 12, a few short weeks after receiving her diploma.

โ€œAs 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,โ€ Saevon said.

As per Siennaโ€™s obituary, the young woman planned to attend college and was on course to study sonogram tech in the fall.

Rest in peace, Sienna Stewart.