PHOENIX — One year ago, a Valley teen with a passion for wrestling and cycling who was pursuing an education in chemistry and biology suddenly died, shocking the East Valley.
Sydelia Orr, a student at Arizona College Prep, was just 16 years old when she passed away.
Her family said a medical examiner's report revealed she died from blood clots in her lungs caused by birth control. Medical experts say an increased risk of blood clots associated with birth control is a rare, but known, side effect.
As Sydelia's father, Edmund Orr, still works to heal from the tremendous loss, he is working to keep his daughter's legacy alive.
"I feel the same as I did a week after," Orr said.
Orr said his daughter was wise beyond her years from a young age. Her outlook on life and ability to think critically and independently was evident early on.
“When she was 10 years old, she said, 'Do I need to eat meat?' And I was like, 'Well, yeah, it's part of a balanced diet, you know, eat vegetables and meat.' And she said, 'Yeah, but do I need to?' I was like, 'Well, I mean, technically you don't need to,'" Orr said. "And I was like this is not gonna last, you know, give it a couple months. She never ate meat for the rest of her life.”
Sydelia was a junior in high school but her daily routine hardly reflected that of a typical teenager. Her father said she would wake up around 4:30 a.m. on the weekdays and 6 a.m. on weekends to exercise and work before school.
“It was just kind of how she was built," Orr said.
Sydelia was passionate about rock climbing. She was a competitive cyclist. And she was a decorated wrestler.
She also enjoyed cooking.
“She loved the process of prepping. She's like, 'It's cathartic. I enjoy it,'" Orr recalled.
Her room was covered in posters featuring classic rock icons, ranging from Billy Joel to Nirvana to Jimi Hendrix.
She also excelled in school and was accumulating college credits in biology and chemistry. She had applied for the Science National Honor Society and it was learned after her death that she had been accepted. She had dreams of pursuing a graduate degree in chemistry.
She was an outstanding student and athlete, though her father said it was her character that made her great.
“Her generosity of spirit, just the way she conducted herself. She was committed to herself. She was committed to other people to do the right thing. And it rang true in everything she did," Orr said.
November 10, 2023
On November 10, 2023, her family's world would change forever. Orr said Sydelia had returned home from a wrestling tournament in Las Vegas and was having respiratory issues.
Not sure if it was exhaustion or an illness from the trip, Orr ended up taking her to the doctor after her symptoms didn't go away.
He said doctors did chest X-rays but her lungs were reported to be clear.
Her symptoms persisted so he planned to take her back to the doctor. But early in the morning, she passed away.
“I couldn't, I couldn't believe it was true," Orr said.
Her family has since filed a medical malpractice and wrongful death civil lawsuit.
Following her death, classmates, friends and strangers held memorials to remember Sydelia's life, using the phrase "Live Like Syd."
"I think it's important that people know about her," Orr said.
Scholarship fund created in Sydelia Orr's honor
That's why Orr has created the Sydelia Orr Memorial Scholarship Fund. It's a foundation meant to inspire women in science and STEM and provide financial support for postsecondary education. It's an effort to encourage more young women to live like Syd.
On Saturday, the organization is hosting an event to raise money to continue giving back. It's a cornhole tournament at ACP High School from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. You can register online and find more information about the scholarship fund here.
“I think she would like the fact that we're doing some things that are fun and engaging, that people are giving of themselves for something beyond themselves," Orr said.
The foundation is funding ten "Live Like Syd" scholarships to Chandler students for $1,600 each in honor of Sydelia passing away at age 16.
Time has not healed Orr's wounds but it has given him the strength to share his daughter's story so her impact and legacy can live on.
“Unfortunately, not enough people are going to get to know her directly. But you know, maybe if we can share the story a little bit, they can learn about her because I think she brought to the table the qualities that we all strive to have our kids embrace and embody, and that we could all benefit from," Orr said.
