A 41-year-old woman from Indiana passed away on a flight from the Dominican Republic after experiencing a mid-flight ‘medical emergency.’

Stefanie Smith was returning from a couple’s trip in the Dominican Republic and flying into Charlotte, North Carolina, for a connecting flight.

While on the flight, Smith suddenly became unwell.

WTHR reports:

Smith and her boyfriend left Punta Cana to catch their connecting flight in Charlotte. The 41-year-old Danville woman was headed to the Indianapolis International Airport when her boyfriend realized something was wrong.

“He said he looked over to her, her eyes were rolled into the back of her head,” said Yannotti. “Then she began convulsing.”

A flight attendant tried to help, but CPR didn’t save her. The plane had to make a medical emergency diversion and land in Turks and Caicos.

Smith was pronounced dead at the hospital there. Her body is still in Turks and Caicos, where her family is still waiting for an autopsy.

It’s been more than a week.

“We want answers, we want her body back, we just want her home,” said Smith’s brother, Chris Volz.

“I’d say the uncertainty, the not knowing how she died, the not knowing when her body will be returned to us, has been the hardest thing recently,” said Volz, according to People.

“It’s been a week so we’re past the initial shock. But now, it’s the uncertainty,” he added.

From People:

He also shared that Smith’s “celebration of life” has a tentative date; however, her body has not been released from the Turks and Caicos Hospital. He said the family is unsure when they will receive her body and confirmed they have not heard from American Airlines but are “hoping to find out soon.”

Volz also spoke of his sister’s healthy lifestyle, explaining that she “coached cheerleading and softball, when her kids were younger.” Smith was a mother of two children: an 18-year-old son and a 16-year-old daughter.

“She was very active,” said Volz. “Right before she left, she took a picture with everyone and there was no indication that she was sick.”

He also previously told ABC News, “She was a special person…Her kids really…love her a lot, and I know she loved them,” Volz said. “And so it’s tough.”

Along with Volz, Smith’s friend Maria Yannotti — who joined her on the vacation — also spoke with ABC News. Yannotti shared how Smith appeared healthy before the flight.

“She loves going to the gym every day, even while we were in the Dominican. She made it a point to get up every morning to go to the gym and run on the beach,” Yannotti said.

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