HIRAM, GA – A high school student from Hiram, Georgia, whose life was cut short just weeks after her graduation, is being remembered by her mother for her remarkable strength and perseverance. Eighteen-year-old Sienna Stewart, who suffered from severe heart problems, had collapsed during her graduation ceremony but insisted on walking across the stage to receive her diploma, recounted Saevon Chum, Sienna’s mother.
A video of the graduation ceremony clearly demonstrates the frightful moment when Sienna lost consciousness, momentarily halting the proceedings. A school official can be heard asking for a pause and for Sienna’s mother. Upon her arrival, Chum found her daughter unconscious, and paramedics were already on site.
Nevertheless, in a few minutes, Sienna regained consciousness. While Chum and the paramedics recommended immediate hospitalization, Sienna was resolute in her desire to walk across the stage, even while crying.
Chum disclosed that Sienna was diagnosed with severe cardiomyopathy at the tender age of four but received a heart transplant when she was eight. Although the surgery allowed her daughter a more typical life for about a decade, this year in April, Sienna was diagnosed with heart failure as her transplanted heart was deteriorating.
Sienna’s sheer willpower enabled her to continue walking without assistance at her graduation. Chum praised her daughter’s resilience and unwavering strength. Sadly, Sienna suffered another collapse two weeks post-graduation, and she ultimately passed away on June 12 at the hospital.
While dealing with the harsh reality of her daughter’s demise, Chum expresses pride in Sienna’s relentless fight against her ailing heart. The family plans to hold a funeral service for Sienna this coming Sunday.