EXCLUSIVE
A high-performing Year 12 student has taken her own life after running away from home in a heartbreaking tragedy that even shocked the undertaker organising her funeral.
Samia Syeda, 18, vanished from her family’s Merrylands apartment, in Sydney’s west, between 1am and 3am on December 29. She was later found dead near Merrylands train station.
Ms Syeda was an only child from a small Bangladeshi family who do not have a big support network in Sydney.
Islamic undertaker Ahmad Hraichie, who prepared her funeral service this week, said she confided to a friend that she was feeling suicidal in the hours before her death – but then quickly back-pedalled and insisted she was fine.
‘She said to her friend, “Don’t worry, I will see you later”,’ Mr Hraichie told Daily Mail Australia.
‘She said she would go to a psychologist on the Tuesday.
‘She didn’t make it 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, placing seventh in her school with a score of 93.
But just weeks after finishing Year 12, she sparked a missing persons search when she walked out of her home in the middle of the night without any explanation.
Daily Mail Australia understands she left her phone behind, but took a few 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.
Mr Hraichie said it was heartbreaking to think that 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 will encourage other people grappling with mental health issues to reach out for help.
‘She was 18 years old. This shouldn’t have happened,’ he told Daily Mail Australia.
‘I keep reliving those moments – when she felt so rock bottom to go do that.
‘You lose one, we lose all. In the future, let’s be proactive, not reactive.
‘If you need help, if you want a coffee, I am happy to [be there to] vent.’
Her body was discovered near Merrylands Railway Station (pictured) during the early hours of December 29
Islamic undertaker Ahmad Hraichie (pictured) hopes Ms Syeda’s death will encourage others who are struggling to reach out for support
Her death has left the city’s Muslim community in mourning, with group leader Nafsun Mutma’innah revealing that the teen had been struggling with ‘loneliness’.
‘It seems that 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 youth. 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 members – especially young people – showing signs of despair or talking about losing hope, do not hesitate to reach out to them and offer them a space to talk to you or just sit in silence with them being present with them.’
Hundreds of mourners gathered at Lakemba Mosque on Monday to pay their respects to Ms Syeda, before her body was taken to its final resting place at Rookwood Cemetery.
Ms Syeda’s longtime friend said she would have ‘never guessed’ she would take her own life, as she urged others to check in on anyone who might be struggling.
‘My brothers and sisters, I beg, if you know someone that’s struggling, regardless of proximity, please ask them if they’re ok,’ she said.
‘You will never know what’s happening behind closed doors, people need a shoulder to lean on.
‘A simple question can change someone’s life.’
For confidential support 24/7, call Lifeline 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636
