Off The Record

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

Published on July 13, 2024

Following the tragic loss of an 18-year-old high school student who fell during her graduation ceremony, a town has been left in mourning.

Tragically, it has been reported that 18-year-old Sienna Stewart, who had a transplant eleven years prior, was diagnosed with heart failure in April. Since she was four years old, Sienna has had severe cardiomyopathy, and early this year, she started “getting sick.”

She was said to have been able to lead a “relatively normal life for 10 years” following the aforementioned transplant, but after that, she began “getting weak and slowing down.”

Mother Saevon Chum disclosed that her daughter would occasionally pass out; one such instance occurred on Thursday, May 23, 2024, during her graduation.

The principal of Hiram High School is heard yelling, “Just give us a second, please, we have a student, just give us a second,” in a video that the school has posted.

Saevon found her daughter receiving care from paramedics when she arrived. The mother recalled, “When I got there, the ambulance was already there. She had collapsed. She had had another episode. But this was the first time she collapsed unconscious.”

After a few minutes, Sienna became conscious again and made the decision to go to her ceremony rather than the hospital.

“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,” Saevon said.

Sadly, only a few short weeks after getting her diploma, Sienna passed away on June 12th.

“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,” Saevon said.

According to Sienna’s obituary, the young lady was scheduled to study ultrasound tech in the fall at a college.

Peace be with you, Asie Stewart.