@kennethrpreston/Twitter/In Loving Memory of Sydney Aiello/gofundmeA teenager who survived the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting has died by suicide at the age of 19.
Sydney Aiello was a recent graduate of Marjory Stoneman Douglas, and reportedly struggled to attend college classes due to her fear of being in classrooms. She had been on the school campus on the day of the shooting, however she had not been in the Freshman Building.
Sydney had been a close friend of Meadow Pollack, one of the 17 people who died during the mass shooting on February 14, 2018.
A little more than a year after this photo was taken, both are gone.
In February, Meadow was killed in the Parkland shooting. This week, Sydney took her own life.
Please consider donating to her family to help cover some of the funeral costs. https://t.co/qxeUeFLhx1 pic.twitter.com/xSnMPAU0bD
— Kenneth Preston (@kennethrpreston) March 21, 2019
As reported by CBS Miami, Sydney’s mother Cara confirmed Sydney had died last weekend.
Cara explained how Sydney had suffered from survivor’s guilt following the shooting, and had recently been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Cara said her daughter never asked for help before she died, and expressed her hopes that Sydney’s story can now help others who are struggling.
Ryan Petty, whose daughter Alaina Petty died in the shooting, told CBS Miami:
It breaks my heart that we’ve lost yet another student from Stoneman Douglas,
My advice to parents is to ask questions, don’t wait.
I started seeing obituary information yesterday. The reporting in this story indicates Sydney Aiello was effectively an 18th victim of the #Parkland shooting. Further tragedy. https://t.co/rvF6oGQlNR
— Jacob Ogles (@jacobogles) March 22, 2019
A GoFundMe page has been set up to raise funds for the Aiello family. The page describes ‘a beloved daughter, sister and friend to many’ who ‘lit up every room she entered’:
She filled her days cheerleading, doing yoga, and brightening up the days of others. Sydney aspired to work in the medical field helping others in need.
On March 17th, 2019 Sydney became the guardian angel to many.
It was a privilege to have you in our lives. Sydney, we will miss you and always love you. May you find peace in His arms.
Sydney leaves behind her parents Cara and Joe, and her brother Nick. You can donate to Sydney’s GoFundMe page here.
Last week Sydney Aiello, a student at Parkland, took her own life. She was 19. She was close friends with Parkland shooting victim Meadow Pollack. Sydney’s mom said Sydney felt survivor’s guilt, was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Kids don’t deserve this either.
— Shaun McCarron (@DemandFactsNow) March 22, 2019
Our thoughts are with the family of Sydney Aiello at this difficult time.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues, and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123.
In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255.
In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14. Hotlines in other countries can be found at Suicide.org.
Save a life. Take the free suicide prevention training provided by Zero Suicide Alliance today.
Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.