8-year-old back in school after heart stopped in class

PAULDING COUNTY, Ga. — A little girl is back in school after her heart stopped last month in gym class.

Sienna Stewart has a history of heart problems.

While in gym class at Hiram Elementary, 8-year-old Sienna collapsed and her heart stopped.

Her coaches and a school nurse used an automatic defibrillator to revive her and she was eventually taken to Children’s Health Care at Egleston.

Channel 2 Action News first reported this story in November.

Thursday, Channel 2’s Diana Davis went back to Hiram Elementary where the little girl is back in class with all the other third-graders.

She told Davis, she doesn’t remember anything about her collapse.

Sienna said all she remembers is waking up in an ambulance and that it was “scary.”

Since then, she’s had two surgeries.

Her classmates also received counseling after what happened.

Her principal, Paul Wilder, visited her in the hospital and says she’s doing fine now.

“It’s always been, I think, hard for her to talk about it 'cause it was a fairly traumatic experience as it would be for anybody,” Wilder said.

Today, Sienna has Christmas, time with her family and Santa Claus on her mind.

“My cousins are coming and we’re going to have secret Santa,” Sienna told Davis.

She added that the best thing Santa could give her is a Barbie Dream House.

As for the defibrillator and quick actions of his staff, Wilder said he’ll never forget.

“It’s really humbling. A few seconds here or there either way could have made all the difference,” he said.

Doctors are still watching the little girl carefully, but they said she is doing great and should be able to live a completely normal life.

WSBTV