The family of Stefanie Smith, the woman who mysteriously died on a flight to the Dominican Republic, finally have answers about her death. Sadly those answers may mean none of us ever feel safe again though…
If you haven’t followed the news, Stefanie was traveling to Turks and Caicos on an American Airlines flight when she suddenly became ill and died last month. Her brother Chris Volz spoke to People on Thursday and said at the time she was traveling with her boyfriend when she became sick “mid-flight” due to a “medical tragedy”:
“All we know is that he woke up, saw her eyes rolled in the back of her head, and then she kind of made a moaning sound. That’s when she still had a pulse, was breathing a little bit.”
Speaking with the outlet, the brother of the victim said there was no indication of foul play in her death:
“There was nothing anyone could do to save her. They tried CPR to no avail.”
So awful! We can’t imagine the horror the whole flight, especially her boyfriend, experienced in that moment…
But what actually happened?? Volz said while they’re still waiting on official confirmation, medical professionals now believe she suffered something called a “carotid dissection”. According to Cedars Sinai, a carotid dissection is a tear in the carotid artery — AKA the one that provides blood flow to the brain. This tragedy can occur “suddenly” with “no known cause” although they’re often associated with neck injuries or other underlying conditions that can “weaken artery walls”. Sadly, Stefanie was struggling with her blood pressure at the time.
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At the time of her death, everyone was left shocked and horrified, as you can imagine. Stefanie was known by her friends and family to be a very healthy and active person, so that raised a lot of eyebrows in relation to her sudden passing. Her brother told the outlet she “coached cheerleading and softball” as well as enjoyed CrossFit. Last week the victim’s friend Maria Yannotti told ABC:
“She loves going to the gym every day, even while we were in the Dominican. She made it a point to get up every morning to go to the gym and run on the beach.”
So, so sad. A grim reminder that everything can change in a single moment. Stefanie leaves behind an 18-year-old son and a 16-year-old daughter. While speaking of his sister, Volz told People:
“She was just a mom that she loved life, and she always looked at the good in people. She always loved her kids more than anything. She would do anything for her kids, and they knew that.”
Our hearts go out to her family and loved ones as they navigate this unimaginable loss.
R.I.P.
[Image via Stefanie Smith/Facebook]
