Raymond Moodley shared this
A tribute to my beautiful son, Kaden Sean Moodley:
Today, 18 August 2026, would have been my son Kaden’s 17th birthday. He passed away on 21 June 2026, Father’s Day, leaving behind a silence in our family that we can never recover from. We were blessed to have him for 16 years, 10 months, 3 days. I wish it could have been so much longer. Eight weeks since we bid farewell feels surreal right now. Grief does not come knocking gently; it kicks down the door. When you’ve lost a child as special as Kaden was, it feels like there is not enough oxygen left to breathe.
This post on this platform is because a remarkable future leader didn’t get the chance to create his own LinkedIn profile; and to create awareness for the things that matter.
Kaden was a mature young man with clear vision for the future he wanted yet he had this amazing capacity to find time to care for people young and old. His friends have shared with us how Kaden stood beside them during some of their darkest and most difficult times—friendship, support, and simply being there for them helped them through moments when they were struggling deeply. To hear a friend say that Kaden saved their life is something no parent can ever forget. Whilst he was providing counsel to others in need, he did it whilst he experienced his own struggles. He turned up and faced every difficult moment that was recently placed in front of him. I am so proud of my courageous son who taught me so much about facing one’s battles head on.
Kaden was a curious and intellectually confident young man. He could hold his own in discussions with specialist doctors, engaging with them almost as a peer. He would question, challenge and explore ideas without being intimidated by the fact that he was speaking to people with years of professional experience. It wasn’t arrogance. It was curiosity. He genuinely wanted to understand things, and if he believed something was worth discussing, he was never afraid to ask difficult questions or express his own point of view.
Our future entrepreneur wanted to build something meaningful and create opportunities for others. He was dismayed at the deteriorating conditions he saw around him and was vocal about the changes he would bring about when “one day he would run the government and change its priorities,” to put people in front of opportunity and focus on what’s important. He was immensely proud to be a citizen of South Africa and also Italy, his ambitions spanned both countries. He was my translator, and the ease with which he could interact and communicate in Italian with strangers in Italy always filled me with immense pride.
Kaden’s journey was tragically cut short two months ago at just 16 but he understood something that many take a lifetime to discover: that success is not only about what we achieve for ourselves, but for others too.
Missing you is like a raging fire in our hearts my beautiful boy Kaden.
Dad, Mom & your little brother Evan.