By: Phil Luciano
Sometimes, coroners cry.
Jamie Harwood freely admits to occasional tears. But for the eight-year coroner of Peoria County, no recent case has hit as hard as that of Sydney Weston. He says it’s a particular challenge to share death information with the parents of children.
“Oftentimes, I’m in tears with them,” Harwood says. “I can only imagine what it’s like to lose a child.”
On vacation June 13, the girl and her family were on a flight from Joplin, Missouri to Chicago when she fell seriously ill. The plane was diverted to Peoria International Airport to address her medical emergency, but she died soon after landing.
Still, amid the sorrow, Harwood later found or discovered that her death might have saved her brother’s life.
“Little bit of an upside,” Harwood says.
Harwood attributed her death to multiple medical conditions that had been unknown to her parents, including Addison’s disease. The disorder can be fatal under the presence of infection, and the girl had several, Harwood said.
After Sydney Weston’s death, her 11-year-old brother fell ill. Knowing his sister’s cause of death, doctors quickly diagnosed him with Addison’s disease.
“That’s the silver lining,” Harwood told WMBD Radio. “Sydney didn’t die in vain. She died to save her brother’s life. I firmly feel that in my heart.”
Remarkably, her death spared a second life.
Though the story of her brother has not heretofore been shared in central Illinois, it did make for some headlines in some national media, including People. Spotting that article was an out-of-state grandmother who used to live in Peoria. As she read Sydney’s story and Harwood’s comments, she was stunned.
Her 10-year-old grandson, who lives in St. Louis, was suffering infections and other maladies that had stymied doctors regarding a diagnosis. The grandmother called the boy’s mother about Sydney’s case, and soon the grandson was diagnosed with Addison’s disease – and treated successfully.
“We are forever in your debt,” she told Harwood in an email. “ … You helped save a life.”
The GoFundMe page for the Weston family can be found here.
Listen to the interview Peoria County Coroner Jamie Harwood on The Phil Luciano Show here.
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