Community rallies for family of South Auckland nurse who died after collapsing at work

Suresh Vengetaraman (right) pictured in March this year with son, Timothy, 13, wife Navaneetha, and daughter Tabitha, 5. Photo / Michael Craig

A popular and much-loved mental health nurse has died suddenly while at work.

Suresh Vengetaraman was at work on November 25 when he died of a possible heart attack.

The Counties Manukau DHB employee was a week away from turning 43 - the same as his father who died of a heart attack at the same age.

Nearly two weeks on, and the father-of-two's death has not only left his wife, Navaneetha, and their two children, Timothy, 13, and Tabitha, 5, heartbroken, but everyone who has come into contact with him.

Speaking to the Herald on behalf of the family, Pastor David Seevaratnam of the New Testament Church in Pakuranga, said while the family was hurting, there had been a noticeable change in the community itself.

"[Nava] has held it together quite well and I think it's because of her faith ... the son didn't show it too much, the daughter is still too young, she loves her dad but probably doesn't fully comprehend what's happened.

"Having said all that they're doing well as a family, but more than that it's everybody else.

"I've got people coming to see me and saying 'I'm going to write my will', 'I've got a pain in the back of my head is that normal?'.

"Everyone has seen this young guy die, so there is this fear."

Seevaratnam said Vengetaraman loved his work and getting into schools to work with children.

"He really loved that and he really cared for the kids and would often speak about that to me.

"He worked in schools. He was in mental health but he primarily worked in schools; going to schools and assisting them there and helping them there."

Speaking to more and more people who knew him, Seevaratnam said he had a remarkable quality to make with friends with anybody and everybody.

"He's the kind of person who would make friends with anybody. He just had time for people and for everybody, it didn't matter who you were and whether you were in the church or not in the church."

Even Vengetaraman's neighbours and community all plunged into sadness upon hearing news of his death.

"What I noticed is that as he passed away, and you don't usually see this, but the whole street, the neighbourhood, is like 'oh wow he died' and everybody in the street knows him, everyone in his workplace knows him, and everyone in his community knows him.

"He's a very caring person and always reaches out to help people in any way."

Vengetaraman also died the same age as his father; his father was 43 when he died of a sudden coronary heart attack. Vengetaraman was due to turn 43 on December 1.

As well as his love of work and the church, his other main love was deep-sea fishing.

All his friends visited the church on Tuesday to say their farewells.

A givealittle page has since been organised to help support the grieving family.

On the page, Fredric Doss, Haemodialysis Educator at Auckland District Health Board, Past Chairman and Current Board member of New Zealand and Australia Society of Renal Dialysis Practice, said they were still getting to the grips with Vengetaraman's tragic death.

Doss said Vengetaraman migrated to New Zealand in January 2004 and worked as renal physiologist at Auckland District Health Board (ADHB) and Waitemata District Health Board (WDHB).

He pursued his career aspirations to become a registered nurse with specialisation in Mental Health, at Counties Manukau from 2016.

"Suresh was an adventurist and evinced interest in fishing, jet skiing, driving and hunting.

"At home, he was a cook fixed his car, and did gardening. He cherished fellowship with friends as well as the Church community. He enjoyed spending time with his children. work-life balance was a skill that he developed well and recommended to all his friends," Doss said.