A woman from Indiana died suddenly last week while traveling back from a vacation in the Dominican Republic, shocking and upsetting her family and friends.

Authorities in Turks and Caicos are currently looking into the passing of Stefanie Smith, who was a passenger on the American Airlines flight from the Dominican Republic to North Carolina on Feb. 28.

Indiana Mom Suddenly Dies on Board American Airlines

Smith, 41, became unwell during the flight, leading to an emergency landing in Turks and Caicos. She was taken to a hospital and unfortunately passed away, according to the statement from the Turks and Caicos police, as per ABC News. 

Her brother Chris Volz expressed how everyone is in shock and waiting for news, mentioning that there are still lots of unresolved issues. The IUPUI graduate worked as an X-ray technician at Memorial Hospital in South Bend, and her unexpected passing has deeply affected her friends and coworkers.

Kristina Swinney shared on Facebook, "I can't recall the last time I experienced heartache like this. Observing you gone today on my left has left me a mess, Stef. It's hard knowing you aren't coming back.Today's news has left us feeling shattered.

An online support has been defined to help her two teenage children, Coen and Macee, and has raised $78,000 as of Wednesday morning. Friends and colleagues expressed their profound sadness and appreciation for the effect that Stefanie Smith had on those around her. One individual at Memorial Hospital, Kristina Swinney, talked about the impact her friend had on those around her, including Swinney's two children who were the same age as her friend.

After the aircraft's arrival at Providenciales International Airport, first responders were on the ground. The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands provided more details in a statement posted on their Facebook page. A medical team and police units were dispatched, and the patient was transported to Cheshire Hall Medical Centre, where she died, according to Daily Mail.

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Who is Stefanie Smith?

Sister-in-law Stephanie Quinn described Smith as the only girl out of five siblings and the mother of two "beautiful children with big hearts and straight As." 

Smith recently went through a divorce from husband Eric, the father of their two children. Coen and Macee are being took care for by their father and other relatives as they get around through their sorrow. Swinney expressed that the GoFundMe campaign is not going to relieve her pain. Moving forward, remember that your mother would want you to achieve your goals and continuously work towards becoming a better version of yourself.

According to Volz, his family was not aware of his sister having any pre-existing conditions before she traveled to the Caribbean on February 24. Upon receiving the news of her passing from his parents on Wednesday night, he was in shock, becoming as though time had slowed down.

Following the declaration made by the airline, the flight completed its route to Charlotte the next day. The passenger had been identified as the woman's sister-in-law by another online user on Facebook. In a post that she posted on Facebook in reaction to the police statement, Stephanie Quinn pleaded for her to be treated with respect as she traveled back to her house.

At first appear, it was not immediately clear if the mom who died had been traveling with her children or other members of her family, New York Times reported.

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