EXCLUSIVE
A high-achieving Year 12 student has taken her own life after running away from home in a heartbreaking tragedy that shocked even the undertaker organizing her funeral.
Samia Syeda, 18, went missing from her family’s apartment in Merrylands, western Sydney, between 1am and 3am on December 29. She was later found dead near Merrylands train station.
Ms Syeda was the only child of a small Bangladeshi family who does not have a large support network in Sydney.
Islamic undertaker Ahmad Hraichie, who arranged his funeral this week, said he confided to a friend that he was feeling suicidal in the hours before his death, but then quickly backtracked and insisted he was fine.
“She told her friend, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll see you later,'” Hraichie told Daily Mail Australia.
“He said he would go to a psychologist on Tuesday.
“It didn’t arrive until Tuesday.”
Samia Syeda, 18 (pictured), took her own life last month after struggling with “loneliness”.
Ms Syeda graduated from Macarthur Girls High School last year, where she excelled in the HSC, coming seventh in her school with a score of 93.
But just weeks after finishing Year 12, he sparked a missing persons search when he left his house in the middle of the night without any explanation.
Daily Mail Australia understands he left his phone behind, but took some personal belongings, including extra changes of clothes.
Her disappearance ended in tragedy when she was found a short time later near the local train tracks, with her name written on her arm.
Hraichie said it was heartbreaking to think a teenager could have felt so alone in a country like Australia, where there are so many avenues to seek social support.
He said he hopes the tragedy encourages other people struggling with mental health issues to seek help.
‘She was 18 years old. “This shouldn’t have happened,” he told Daily Mail Australia.
“I keep reliving those moments, when she felt too bottomed out to do that.
“You lose one, we all lose.” Moving forward, let’s be proactive, not reactive.
‘If you need help, if you want a coffee, I’ll be happy to (be there) vent.’
His body was discovered near Merrylands railway station (pictured) during the early hours of December 29.
Islamic undertaker Ahmad Hraichie (pictured) hopes Syeda’s death will encourage others who are struggling to seek support.
Her death has left the city’s Muslim community in mourning, with the group’s leader, Nafsun Mutma’innah, revealing the teenager had been struggling with “loneliness”.
“It appears the suicide was indicative of underlying personal issues and feelings of isolation,” he wrote online.
‘This loss highlights a growing concern about suicide and suicidal ideation, especially among our young people. Adolescence can be a time of intense emotional and social pressures, especially in the harmful age of social media, especially for girls.
‘If you notice friends or family, especially young people, showing signs of despair or talking about losing hope, don’t hesitate to approach them and offer them a space to talk to you or simply sit quietly with them while being present. them.’
Hundreds of mourners gathered at Lakemba Mosque on Monday to pay their respects to Syeda, before her body was taken to its final resting place at Rookwood Cemetery.
Syeda’s longtime friend said she “never would have imagined” Syeda would take her own life, and urged others to check on anyone who may be struggling.
“My brothers and sisters, I beg you, if you know anyone who is struggling, regardless of proximity, ask them if they are okay,” he said.
‘You will never know what happens behind closed doors, people need a shoulder to lean on.
“A simple question can change someone’s life.”
For 24/7 confidential support, call Lifeline 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636