Sonny John Orlando Blundell: Teen tradie dies after freak Gold Coast housewarming accident
An 18-year-old tradie has died after hitting his head while doing a backflip in his Gold Coast apartment.
Sonny John Orlando Blundell was found unresponsive by his housemates on June 25, after suffering from a headache and vomiting after he did a backflip in his lounge room.
The young man was taken to a Gold Coast hospital and put into a coma. He reportedly suffered numerous strokes before having brain surgery, but tragically died five days later.
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“He was celebrating moving into the Meriton on Southport beach with his best friend Mitchell Bullard when he did the backflip and hit his head,” Mr Blundell’s sister, Izabella Cromack-Hay told The Courier Mail.
The tradie had also been recently offered a concreting job on the new light rail.
“Sonny had an extraordinary lifestyle; he lived his short 18 years of life to the fullest of his ability,” his sister said.
“Moving to Queensland only a month ago, which was his greatest accomplishment, he worked the hardest concreting and making himself known.”
Ms Cromack-Hay said he was a massive fan of the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and loved all his family and friends.
“We have all been an extremely close family. Sonny was extremely close with mum and had a bond with her like no other,” she said.
“My favourite memory would be when we were young, we used to ride around on the cruiser bikes.”
A GoFundMe page created by Mr Blundell’s family said the first 24 hours in hospital were the most critical for him as he suffered “multiple strokes” and a bleed, which meant he needed a drain in his brain.
In a devastating update, his family shared that their “beautiful Sonny has grown his wings and passed away”.
“We are all in disbelief and major pain. I ask everyone to still support our family as we need to bring Sonny home, as his sisters are waiting for him.
“We are all here in Queensland trying our hardest to organise this horrible time and prepare ourselves.”
The fundraiser has a target of raising $28,000 for “Sonny’s mum, his sisters, family and Sonny’s funeral”.
So far, over $22,000 has been raised from 405 donations.
