A moment of joy quickly turned to heartbreak after 18-year-old Sonny Blundell tragically passed away following a backflip celebration gone wrong, just weeks after moving to Queensland, Australia, to begin a new chapter with his girlfriend.
Originally from New South Wales, Sonny had relocated to Southport on the Gold Coast. On June 24, while celebrating his fresh start with a backflip, he reportedly hit his head. Though he initially brushed it off and went to bed with a headache, he later became violently ill and collapsed.
His best friend, Mitchell Bullard, found him unresponsive the next morning in their living room. Sonny was rushed to the hospital, placed in a medically induced coma, and underwent emergency treatment for multiple strokes and a brain bleed.
Despite intensive care and brain surgery, Sonny sadly died on June 30.
His sister, Izabella Cromack-Hay, confirmed the devastating news in a tribute shared on a GoFundMe page launched to support the family and fund the repatriation of Sonny’s body.
“Our beautiful Sonny has grown his wings… We are all in disbelief and major pain.”
She added that Sonny’s death has left his family “shattered” as they remain in Queensland trying to organise his funeral and bring him home.
Izabella also told The Daily Telegraph that Sonny had been proud of his move to Queensland, calling it his “greatest accomplishment” as he worked hard in the concreting industry and was excited about his future.
A fundraising campaign is ongoing to support Sonny’s grieving mother, sisters, and loved ones as they prepare to lay him to rest.
Rest in peace, Sonny — a life full of hope and dreams, gone too soon.
