Lonely Samia Syeda vanished in the middle of the night. The Merrylands teenager’s grim fate has even shocked the Sydney undertaker who buried her

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 funeral director who organized her funeral.

Samia Syeda, 18, disappeared from her family’s apartment in Merrylands, 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 that does not have a large support network in Sydney.

Muslim funeral director Ahmad Hraichie, who was preparing for 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 stepped back and insisted she was fine.

“She said to her friend, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll see you later,’” Mr Hraichie told Daily Mail Australia.

‘She said she was going to see a psychologist on Tuesday.

“She only made it on Tuesday.”

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 completing Year 12, she sparked a missing persons search when she left 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 an extra change of clothes.

Her disappearance ended in tragedy when she was found a short time later near the local railway line, 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 opportunities to seek social support.

He said he hopes the tragedy will encourage other people struggling with mental health issues to seek help.

‘She was 18 years old. This should not have happened,” he told Daily Mail Australia.

‘I relive those moments again and again – when she felt so deeply to do that.

‘You lose one, we lose everything. In the future, let’s be proactive, not reactive.

‘If you need help, if you want coffee, I’d love to hear from you [be there to] ventilate.’

Her body was discovered near Merrylands train station in the early hours of December 29 (pictured).

Muslim funeral director Ahmad Hraichie (pictured) hopes Ms Syeda’s death will encourage others struggling to find support

Her death has left the city’s Muslim community in mourning, with group leader Nafsun Mutma’innah revealing the teenager was struggling with ‘loneliness’.

“It appears 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 young people. Adolescence can be a time of intense emotional and social pressure, 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, don’t hesitate to reach out to them and offer them a space to talk to you, or simply to sit in silence while they are present. 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 long-time friend said she “never imagined” Ms Syeda would take her own life, as she urged others to reach out to anyone who might be struggling.

“My brothers and sisters, I beg of you, if you know someone who is struggling, regardless of proximity, please ask them if they are okay,” she said.

‘You never know what happens 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