Sienna Stewart, an 18-year-old Hiram High School graduate, passed away just weeks after collapsing at her graduation ceremony on May 23. Despite battling severe cardiomyopathy and a recent heart failure diagnosis, Stewart managed to walk across the stage to receive her diploma, a moment her family will always treasure.
Saevon Chum, mother of Stewart, said she was filled with pride reflecting on her daughter’s resilience on graduation day. Chum noted, “She’s still smiling” when she recalled her daughter’s walk of resilience.
On that fateful day, the event took a dramatic turn when Stewart collapsed, losing consciousness. Paramedics quickly arrived, and Stewart, upon regaining consciousness, tearfully insisted on completing her walk across the stage despite her condition.
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Diagnosed with severe cardiomyopathy at four, Stewart received a heart transplant at eight, giving her ten years of relative normalcy. However, her health declined in April with a heart failure diagnosis, leading to her collapse during graduation.
Despite this, Stewart’s determination shone as she crossed the stage unassisted to claim her diploma.
“She was just strength and resilience, she was just so strong,” Chum described her daughter.
However, two weeks after her graduation, Stewart collapsed again. Her mother recalled the terrifying moment of holding her daughter and calling 911.
Although Stewart briefly seemed to recover in the hospital, she passed away on June 12, according to Fox5. Chum, coping with the loss, indicated that she was proud of Stewart’s courageous fight against her illness.
“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,” she said.
Stewart’s funeral was held on Sunday, with family and friends gathering to honor her extraordinary strength and resolve in the face of adversity.
