The daughter of Democrat State Representative Sean Casten of Illinois, who was 17 years old, passed away suddenly from cardiac arrhythmia on June 13.
The lawmaker has finally broken his silence after keeping quiet for the past four months since the passing of his daughter.
In a statement, the Casten family revealed that their daughter Gwen, who was healthy and fully vaccinated, passed away as a result of a sudden cardiac arrhythmia.
Heart arrhythmia also referred to as cardiac arrhythmia, is an abnormal rhythm of the heart. According to Marshfield Clinic, it occurs when the electrical impulses that coordinate your heart rhythm do not travel normally. This causes the heart to beat too fast, too slow, or with an irregular rhythm.
Gwen died two weeks before her father won the Democratic primary in Illinois’ 6th congressional district, according to CBS.
Below is the statement from the Casten family:
“This past June, our daughter, Gwen Casten, died of a sudden cardiac arrythmia. In layman’s terms, she was fine, and then her heart stopped.
“We don’t know what caused the arrythmia, and likely never will.
“Gwen was a healthy 2022 teenager. She ate well, exercised, got regular check-ups, didn’t suffer from any behavioral health issues, and had close relationships with family and friends. She was fully vaccinated, and quarantined after occasional positive, asymptomatic COVID tests during the omicron wave. She had just come home from an evening with friends, went to bed and didn’t wake up.
“We are heartbroken, but we are not unique. Sudden, unexplained heart-failure among young, healthy people is rare but real. We are left grasping at the wrong end of random chance.
“We are grateful for the outpouring of love we’ve received over these past months. We’ve cried again over each of your letters, messages, meals, and flowers, but they are appreciated. We are also grateful for the donations to the Downers Grove North Friends of Fine Arts and March for Our Lives, causes that Gwen was actively engaged in during high school. It is a comfort to know how many lives Gwen touched over her 17 years.
“She had a big, beautiful, kind, loving heart. And it stopped, as all must.
“None of us know when our last heartbeat will come. The best we can hope for is that when our loved ones do pass, we will have no regrets about the time we were lucky enough to share.
“So hug the folks you love a little harder today. Be present in their lives. And spread your love a little farther. Because in the end, it’s all that remains.
Rep. Casten posted the statement on his Twitter account Friday, but he turned off the comments section.
A statement from the Casten family: pic.twitter.com/fHryLYeJif
— Rep. Sean Casten (@RepCasten) October 7, 2022
Back in 2021, Rep. Casten announced everyone in his family had taken the COVID jab, claiming that it was safe and effective.
ICYMI: All Illinoisans 12 years and older are eligible for the vaccine. They are safe, effective, and key to our path back to normalcy. Everyone in my family – including my 14-year-old daughter – has started their vaccination process.
Here’s how you can get your vaccine THREAD🧵
— Rep. Sean Casten (@RepCasten) May 17, 2021
