PEORIA, Ill. (WKRC) – An 8-year-old died after a medical emergency on a flight in June. Nearly two months later, a medical examiner has revealed what happened.
Sydney Weston was traveling with her family on a SkyWest Airlines flight from Joplin, Missouri to Chicago when she suddenly became unresponsive. The family notified a flight attendant and the flight quickly landed in Peoria.
The coroner said Sydney was not breathing and had no pulse when the plane landed. She was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead.
Peoria County Coroner Jamie Harwood determined Sydney’s cause of death was “complications of chronic primary adrenalitis associated with multiple infections, including streptococcus and enteroviruses.” Adrenalitis is the inflammation of one or both adrenal glands.
According to the medical examiner’s report, she also suffered from duodenitis (inflammation of the small intestine) and thyroiditis (inflammation of the thyroid gland). Hardwood said the multitude of inflammations could indicate an “underlying autoimmune disease.”
Sydney died just eight days before her ninth birthday. Her obituary describes her as “a ray of sunshine” and offers visitors the opportunity to plant a memorial tree (or trees) in Sydney’s honor.
