Honouring Naruedom Malai – Supporting His Family

On Friday, 21 February, our community lost a remarkable young man far too soon.

Naruedom Malai was just 15 years old. He was a deeply loved son, brother, teammate, and friend, and a former player at Mounties Junior Soccer Club. Naruedom was known for his kindness, selflessness, and the genuine care he showed toward others. He had a strong love for his friends and schoolmates and was well known and popular at school — not because he sought attention, but because of the respect, warmth, and positivity he brought to those around him.

Naruedom was born with one oversized lung, which limited his ability to exercise for extended periods, but this never stopped him. He was determined, resilient, and strong-spirited. He loved soccer deeply and continued to play and enjoy the game right up until his final days. In 2024, he was part of the Mounties Under 14 Division 4 team that proudly won both the minor and overall premiership.

On Friday afternoon, while playing soccer with his mates at school, Naruedom collapsed. He later told his father, Sunny, that he didn’t feel right and needed to go to hospital. While preparing to leave home, Naruedom collapsed again and stopped breathing. Sunny immediately called 000 and began CPR. Between Sunny and the paramedics, CPR was performed for over 20 minutes.

Tragically, Naruedom suffered severe brain injury and never regained brain activity. On Friday morning, surrounded by his family, Naruedom was taken off life support.

Despite this unimaginable loss, Naruedom has left behind an extraordinary legacy. He had expressed his wish to be an organ donor, and through his selfless decision, he was able to help save and improve the lives of six people. Even in his passing, Naruedom continued to put others before himself — a true reflection of who he was.

Naruedom was deeply loved by his family. His parents, Sunny and Uraima, adored him and are heartbroken beyond words. His older brother, Naris, shared an incredibly close bond with Naruedom and is struggling with the loss of his younger brother. The love within their family is immense, and the void Naruedom has left is impossible to describe.

The Malai family is now facing not only overwhelming grief, but also significant financial strain as they try to navigate what comes next. Like so many families, they were not prepared for something like this. Sunny has shared that they may need to re-mortgage their home to cover upcoming costs, all while trying to continue working and support his family through their grief.

This GoFundMe has been created to support the Malai family during this incredibly difficult time and to help give Naruedom the send-off he deserves — a celebration of his life, his kindness, his spirit, and the impact he had on so many people.

Any contribution, no matter how small, would mean the world to the Malai family. If you’re unable to donate, please consider sharing this page.

Thank you for your kindness, love, and support