Cause of death revealed for 8-year-old girl who died after emergency landing in Peoria
An autoimmune disorder likely contributed to the June death of an 8-year-old girl on an United Airlines flight that needed to be diverted to Peoria for medical treatment.
Peoria County Coroner Jamie Harwood said in a release that a complete autopsy into the death of Sydney Weston of Carl Junction, Missouri, revealed that Weston had several diagnoses that were suggestive of an underlying autoimmune disorder. In particular, Harwood said that Weston's death was caused by complications from chronic primary adrenalitis in the setting of multiple infections, such as strep throat and enterovirus.
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Harwood also said that Weston had inflammation in the first part of her small intestine – also known as duodenitis – and in her thyroid glands. In summation, he said that the contributing diagnoses were consistent with that of someone with an autoimmune disorder.
The autoimmune form of adrenalitis, for instance, is among the many causes of Addison's disease, a rare disorder where steroid hormones are not produced to an adequate amount in the adrenal glands.
Weston and her family were flying on United Flight 5121 from Joplin to Chicago O'Hare International Airport on June 13 when she fell ill and become unresponsive on the flight. Family notified flight personnel of her condition and rerouted the plane to General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport at 7 a.m. that morning. She was quickly transported to OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center, where she died an hour later.
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Passengers on the flight were laid over in Peoria until the afternoon, when they resumed their journey to Chicago.
Harwood said previously that there was no sign of foul play and no signs of abuse or neglect. He said that his department had the family in their continued thoughts and prayers.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Cause of death for girl who died after emergency landing in Peoria
