Shortly after an incredible moment during her graduation ceremony on May 23, Hiram High School student Sienna Stewart, an outstanding eighteen-year-old, went away.
After fighting severe cardiomyopathy, Sienna was just told she had heart failure. Her family will always treasure the moment she persevered in walking across the stage to get her graduation despite her health issues.
That day was significant because Sienna suddenly passed out. Thank goodness paramedics were there quickly to help. She sobbed as she demanded to finish walking across the stage when she came to.
Resilience had been a hallmark of Sienna’s journey. She obtained a life-saving heart transplant at the age of four, and for the next ten years, her life was largely normal. But she started to deteriorate and become weaker earlier this year.
Saevon Chum, Sienna’s mother, revealed that her daughter would sometimes have fits of collapsing, and regrettably, it happened on the day of her graduation. The high school principal was heard asking for everyone’s patience while Sienna fell.
According to Sienna’s mother, “the ambulance was already there when I got there,” in a Fox5Atlanta interview. “She had passed out. She’d experienced another incident. However, this was the first time she passed out.
Even after being scared, Sienna was resolved not to go to the hospital but to cross the stage. She begged her mother to let her graduate and live the life she had always dreamed of. Upon receiving her diploma as the final student that day, Sienna was greeted by her classmates and all those present with a standing ovation.
“It was all she could say to me, ‘I just want to walk and graduate.’” She had already missed her prom, so all she wanted was that. She missed her senior prom since she was in the hospital prior to it, according to Saevon.
Sadly, Sienna died a few weeks after experiencing her moment of glory at graduation. “As a mom, you feel so proud because she just fought through something that hurts her,” her mother boldly said. You ought to feel honored. Until the very end, I felt proud.
Sienna was quite ambitious about her future. According to her obituary, she had planned to enroll in college and work toward a sonogram technology job the following fall.
Let’s honor Sienna Stewart’s unwavering character and the courage she showed during her brief but significant life. Peace be with her as she rests.
