A 42-year-old Sydney mother of three died suddenly last week after suffering a brain aneurysm while at work.
Elleni Jamal, a creative director, had recently started a new job and had just sat down at her desk on Thursday when she began complaining of a headache. She called her husband, Khaled, to pick her up. Later that day, she collapsed.
Mian Jamal frantically administered CPR to his wife before she was taken to a Sydney hospital. Doctors declared her brain dead, and her family switched off her life support on Friday.
Ms. Jamal, who had worked on campaigns for fashion brands Camilla and Rockmans, leaves behind her husband and their three daughters: Amelia, 12, Layla, 9, and Zara, 5.
Her father, John Kambourakis, shared his grief on Facebook, stating, "It is with the heaviest of hearts that we share news we never imagined we would have to write. Our hearts, along with the hearts of everyone who knew and loved our beautiful Elleni, are completely broken."
Despite growing up in a Greek Orthodox family, Ms. Jamal was buried on Sunday at Rookwood Cemetery following a funeral service at Lakemba Mosque, adhering to her husband's Muslim faith. A memorial service was also held at St Savvas of Kalymnos Orthodox Church in Banksia.
A GoFundMe page has been established by a family friend to help the family with immediate and long-term financial challenges, including funeral costs, daily living expenses, and the daughters' future needs. The page states that with the sudden loss of Ms. Jamal's income and support, and facing a large mortgage, her husband may be forced to sell their family home.
"In an instant, Khaled lost his beloved wife and soulmate. Amelia, 12, Layla, nine, and Zara, just five, lost their beautiful, devoted mum," the GoFundMe page read. "Elleni was a radiant light and the heart of her family. Her world revolved around Khaled and their three beautiful girls. Her sudden death has left a devastating and unfillable void in the lives of everyone who knew and loved her."