Illinois Congressman Sean Casten reveals cause of death of teen daughter
DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. - Illinois Rep. Sean Casten revealed the cause of death of his daughter, who passed away over the summer.
Casten's 17-year-old daughter, Gwen, died on June 13.
According to a statement released by the family, Gwen died of sudden cardiac arrhythmia.
After she passed away, Casten said Gwen was a happy and healthy young woman who was looking forward to starting her freshman year at the University of Vermont.
Casten released a statement Friday afternoon. It can be read in full below:
"This past June, our daughter, Gwen Casten, died of a sudden cardiac arrhythmia. In layman’s terms, she was fine, and then her heart stopped.
We don’t know what caused the arrhythmia, 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."
Gwen Casten | Provided
"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."
The Casten family said they will not be issuing any further statements on Gwen's death.