18-year-old passes away weeks after collapsing at high school graduation

The close-knit community of Hiram has been left heartbroken by the sudden death of 18-year-old Sienna Stewart, who collapsed during her high school graduation ceremony.

Sienna had faced health challenges from a young age. At just four years old, she was diagnosed with severe cardiomyopathy. Ten years ago, she received a heart transplant, which allowed her to live a relatively normal life. However, earlier this year, her health began to decline.

Sienna’s mother, Saevon Chum, shared that her daughter had experienced several episodes where she would collapse. On May 23, during her graduation, Sienna collapsed again.

In a video from Hiram High School, the principal can be heard saying, “Just give us a second please, we have a student, just give us a second…” Paramedics were already attending to Sienna by the time Saevon arrived. “When I got there, the ambulance was already there,” Saevon recalled. “She had collapsed. She had had another episode. But this was the first time she collapsed unconscious.”

Despite this, Sienna regained consciousness a few minutes later and chose to attend her ceremony rather than going to 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,” Saevon said.

Tragically, Sienna passed away on June 12, just weeks after achieving her goal of graduating. Her obituary shared that she had planned to attend college in the fall to study sonogram technology.

Saevon expressed her pride in her daughter’s determination and spirit. “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.

Rest in peace, Sienna Stewart. The community mourns the loss of a brave and determined young woman.