UIndy student dies suddenly
Khaled Al-Husseini, a University of Indianapolis student, passed away unexpectedly on Friday, Aug. 27. Khaled was known not only by the international students, but to many all around campus. According to his brother, Kenan Al-Husseini, Khaled’s autopsy revealed his cause of death to be Marfan’ s Syndrome, although neither he nor his family had any idea of his condition.
According to the American Heart Association, Marfan’s Syndrome is, “a connective tissues disorder, and besides perhaps having heart problems, people with Marfan’s syndrome are often tall and thin. They also may have slender, tapering fingers, long arms and legs, curvature of the spine and eye problems.”
The doctors diagnosed Khaled with scoliosis, but had never mentioned the chance of Marfan’s Syndrome.
Khaled was an international student from Syria, and he graduated in 2010 with a degree in marketing. He had planned to attend the UIndy masters program in the fall.
“Khaled brought me so much joy last year. He was funny, intelligent, and so kind. Every single time I saw him, we would end up laughing,” said Katie Gainey, Khaled’s 2010 East Hall resident assistant. “I will continue to pray for his family and share my memories of him with others.”
Khaled left an impression on all of those he encountered and was very close to the international students at UIndy, according to his close friend Aviv Sela.
Photo contributed by Kenan Al-Husseini
“I don’t remember a single person that didn’t like him. He left a good impression on most people on campus; the girls always liked him,” Sela said. “Everywhere we went, we took Khaled with us, and he was a part of the ‘international family’ we have here on campus.”
Kenan Al-Husseini created a Facebook page in his memory, and reminds all of Khaled’s friends and family that “It’s only human to mourn and cry, but please do Khaled a personal favor and celebrate his life instead. If you are having a drink, lift your drink up high and make a toast in honor of his name.If you are dancing, sing along and feel his spirit with you. If you are sad, think of the good times you spent with him and smile.”
The Global Rally of Students, a club Khaled was a part of at UIndy, plans to have a memorial service to celebrate Khaled’s life in McCleary Chapel on Oct. 14.
“Khaled enjoyed every minute of his life. He lived very dangerously, loved his friends, was loved everywhere, and knew how to make people around him happy,” Sela said. “He lived every day like it was his last day of life, took many risks, and had a good time.”
The UIndy counseling services located on the second floor of Schwitzer Student Center are there to assist students with the loss of a loved one.
“Khaled was wonderful,” said Gainey. “If I could talk to him right now I would say, ‘I will always miss you, Habibi.’”
