The cause of death of an eight-year-old girl who tragically died after falling ill on a plane has been confirmed.
Sydney Weston from Missouri had experienced a medical emergency and become unresponsive while aboard a regional jet on the way to a family vacation in Chicago on June 13.
The plane was diverted to Peoria but the little girl tragically died shortly afterward.
Her post-mortem results have now been confirmed, revealing that Sydney had a medical condition her parents likely wouldn't have been aware of before her death.
According to reports from People, Sydney had Addison's disease, an uncommon condition in which the adrenal glands make too little cortisol and, often, too little of another hormone, aldosterone, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Addison's disease can affect anyone and can be life-threatening, however, treatment can involve taking hormones to replace the ones that are missing.
According to Illinois' Peoria County coroner Jamie Harwood, via People: "Sydney’s death was determined to be the result of an adrenal crisis secondary to Addison’s disease, a condition characterized by chronic adrenal insufficiency."
Harwood added that it was not known that Sydney had the condition "until the postmortem examination," meaning her parents were likely unaware that she had Addison's disease at all.
The coroner explained that Addison's disease can present "insidiously" in adolescents, with subtle early symptoms including "fatigue, hyperpigmentation, and unexplained weight loss".
In Sydney's case, Harwood claims that the "situation was further complicated by the presence of multiple infections, including Streptococcus pyogenes (a bacteria that causes Strep throat), chronic duodenitis (inflammation of the small intestine) and thyroiditis (thyroid gland inflammation)."
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The coroner believes that it infections had triggered an "acute adrenal insufficiency” crisis, causing her condition to deteriorate so rapidly, meaning that she was without a pulse and not breathing by the time the SkyWest plane made its emergency landing.
He told People: "The body’s demand for cortisol increases substantially during infections, and in Sydney’s case, the inability of her compromised adrenal glands to meet this demand led to a rapid deterioration."
After the emergency landing, Sydney was then transported to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead at 8.05AM local time.
Since Sydney's tragic death, her parentshave also learned that their 11-year-old son Evan also has Addison's disease, according to a GoFundMe set up in the wake of the tragedy.
The family wrote: "We deeply appreciate your ongoing support and compassion. As we continue to seek answers about Sydney’s sudden and tragic passing, the past few weeks have brought unimaginable pain.
"Our primary focus now is on our son, Evan, and ensuring his well-being. Evan has since been diagnosed with Addison’s disease, a rare autoimmune condition.
"We are dedicated to managing his health and conducting genetic testing for our family to deepen our understanding and trace the impacts for our health."
Our thoughts remain with the family at this heartbreaking time.