18-Year-Old Teen Dies Weeks After Collapsing at Graduation Ceremony

Sienna Stewart, an 18-year-old African American student from Hiram, Georgia, tragically passed away two weeks after her high school graduation. Following the episode at the graduation ceremony, there were initial signs of recovery. Sadly, Sienna passed away on June 12. Her mother expressed grief at the loss of her daughter, emphasizing the pain of losing a child.

18-Year-Old Teen Dies Weeks After Collapsing at  Graduation Ceremony

Sienna Stewart, an 18-year-old African American student from Hiram, Georgia, tragically passed away two weeks after her high school graduation.

Reports revealed that Sienna collapsed during her graduation ceremony but regained consciousness and walked across the stage, a moment widely captured in a video that circulated on social media.

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On May 23, Sienna collapsed suddenly during her graduation ceremony, prompting school staff to call for medical assistance. Miraculously, she regained consciousness shortly after the incident. 

Sienna had been battling severe cardiomyopathy for most of her life, with her mother, Saevon Chum, revealing that the young girl had undergone a life-saving heart transplant at the age of 8. Despite experiencing complications in April that led to heart failure, Sienna remained determined to graduate. 

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Despite urging from paramedics and her mother to go to the hospital, Sienna was determined to cross the stage and receive her diploma. She managed to do it without assistance. “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,” Chum said.

Following the episode at the graduation ceremony, there were initial signs of recovery. Sadly, Sienna passed away on June 12. Her mother expressed profound grief at the loss of her daughter, emphasizing the pain of losing a child.

Chum reflected on Sienna’s strength throughout her life, emphasizing, “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.”