“Jayden is a person who showed a genuine care for the people around him. He would always offer his help to everyone and everyone whether you were close or not. He always put his best effort in everything,” said senior Alicia Callejas.  

The Mustang community is grieving the loss of junior Jayden Naidoo who passed away on Dec. 22, 2017. His family and friends attended the funeral and wake the following Thursday. At his funeral, loved ones spoke of their favorite memories of Jayden.

Jayden’s father, Vernon Naidoo, remembers his kindness to his friends and family, especially towards his younger sister. “[He would] pick his sister from the bus stop. He [would] sometimes carry a banana for her, because she once complained that she was so hungry. He babysat her when [we] went out, and would entertain her by watching movies and playing board games,” he said.

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His friends enjoyed the laughter he brought them when they would spend time together.  “Jayden was a funny, weird in a good way, caring kid that had so much love in his heart,” junior Angel Farnworth said.

Fellow yearbook staffer, Alicia Callejas recalls one of her favorite memories. “[One time] I wasn’t paying attention [while] he was trying his hardest to get my attention just so he knew that I heard him say hello. That honestly made my day and is probably my favorite memory of Jayden just because of the simplicity and kindness he always showed.”

Jayden touched many lives at Metea, including his English teacher, Karen Aigner. “[In the time that I knew him] it was very clear that he had a great sense of humor. He seemed to be very introverted and shy, [but] even though he was quieter, he was very brave,” Aigner said. “My favorite part of knowing him were his giant, sweet eyes. He had these very big, kind eyes. I think you saw a lot of who he was as a person in his eyes.”

In addition to yearbook, Jayden played on the volleyball team as a freshman. Some of his favorite interests were race cars, making music, photography, and hanging out with his sister and dog. He and his family frequently visited South Africa where most of his family lived to spend time with them.

He is survived by his parents, Vernon Naidoo and Anusha Ramdav, and his younger sister, Aryana Naidoo.

“Jayden was a very focused kid, he gave anything that he was interested in 100% effort. [He] was a sweet, kind and a loving soul. He cared a lot about people and friends. He was beautiful both inside and out,” Jayden’s father said.

Jayden’s family requested that all donations be made in his name to the Jason Foundation, an organization that works to end teen suicide and educate students about mental health. If you would like to donate in honor of Jayden and teens who have lost their lives to suicide you can donate here.