Facebook/GoFundMe Sydney Aiello
Sydney Aiello, 19, who survived the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and took her own life on March 17, 2019, according to her family.
Her mother told a local news outlet that her daughter had been close friends with Meadow Pollack, who was shot and killed in the attack.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
Here’s what you need to know.
1. Cara Aiello: My Daughter Suffered From Survivor’s Guilt
Sydney Aiello’s mother, Cara, told CBS station WFOR-TV that her daughter struggled after the attack on February 14, 2018, which claimed the lives of 17 people, including 14 students. You can see the names of the victims and tributes here.
Senior Meadow Pollack was one of those killed. Cara Aiello said that Sydney and Meadow were close friends. She explained that Sydney had survivor’s guilt and had also been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
2. Sydney Aiello Attended Florida Atlantic University; Her Mother Said Sydney Was Terrified to be in Classrooms
Sydney Aiello graduated from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018.
She was attending Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, located just a few miles away from Parkland.
Her mother told WFOR-TV that Sydney had trouble attending her classes. She was reportedly still too scared to sit in a classroom, afraid of another shooting.
3. Sydney Aiello Joined in Efforts to Prevent Future Gun Violence
The students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School responded differently than other students had in the past after a gunman attacked their school and killed 17 people. They did not allow the shooting to fade into the background. Instead, they spoke out and became active in gun control efforts.
Sydney Aiello joined in that movement. Her Facebook page includes a couple of photos of her from the March For Our Lives rally in March of 2018. She held a sign that read “Never Again.”
Aiello’s Instagram account included the hashtag #msdstrong. And the public view of her Facebook page shows that in November of 2018, she shared an image of classmate Anthony Borges, who was shot five times while shielding other students from incoming bullets. He survived the attack.
4. Sydney Aiello Taught Yoga & Used the Funds to Benefit Others
Sydney Aiello enjoyed practicing yoga. Her Instagram page, though private, states in the bio section that she was a “Yogi at heart?.”
Her Facebook page shows that she also enjoyed teaching it to other people. Sydney promoted classes she was teaching during the fall of 2018.
The event referenced in the post embedded above benefited a non-profit organization called the Connection Coalition. According to its website, the organization works with youth groups “to provide access to tools for resiliency with trauma-informed practices that help calm the nervous system and allow better decision making with yoga, mindfulness and meditation.”
5. A GoFundMe Account Was Launched to Benefit the Aiello Family
A GoFundMe account was set up to raise money for Sydney’s family and cover funeral costs. She leaves behind her parents, Cara and Joe, and an older brother named Nick. You can find that page here.
According to the page, Sydney had aspirations of working in the medical field, perhaps as a doctor.
The page describes Sydney as someone who strived to “brighten up the days of others” and refers to as having become a “guardian angel to many.”
If you or someone you know is struggling, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.