Sunset Supports the Maldonado Family

Noah Maldonado is a third grader who has been a Sunset Star in the special day class for students with autism since kindergarten. His loving father, Shaun Maldonado, died suddenly and unexpectedly after Thanksgiving break. Shaun’s tragic death left behind his partner Iralene, and their sons Noah and Kaiden. This is a devastating loss for Noah’s family and the Sunset community. After this traumatic incident, the family is struggling to manage Noah’s autism and Kaiden’s hearing loss, make payments for the funeral service, provide holiday gifts for the kids, and meet basic needs including food, rent, transportation, and more.

Shaun was a hard working, caring and fun-loving father who did his best to support Noah’s learning and growth at school and at home. It was always a joy to see Shaun at Sunset helping his son and getting to know the staff. Iralene recalls that Shaun worked tirelessly to support the family. In his time off Shaun loved taking the boys on drives to enjoy the scenery while listening to classical music to relax. They would go feed the horses at the stables on Skyline drive or the ducks at Lake Merritt, and frequent their favorite stores and restaurants. Shaun shared his love of nature with the boys, and had a dream of renting an RV to take the family on a cross country trip. He loved to laugh and make jokes, and his playful spirit lives on in Noah.

Noah’s energy has brightened the Sunset community for years. He loves being at Sunset Elementary. He enjoys learning new things about science, human anatomy, and art. Noah likes playing with putty or slime, making art, and taking pictures or recording videos with an Ipad. When he’s outside, Noah prefers to be surrounded by nature and enjoys exploring natural areas around the school. Before schools closed, he was thriving, spending greater amounts of time in general education classes. The loss of in person learning time followed by the death of his supportive father has been an unthinkable series of setbacks. These are setbacks that Noah and his family can heal from with all of our help and support.

We know that many in the Sunset community will want to help this family. Some Sunset parents put this fundraiser together so that everyone who wants to support the Maldonado family can do so. If you want to make an immediate difference in the life of a Sunset student and family in tremendous need this holiday season, please consider a donation to the Maldonado family. Thank you.