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“It was never Ed and Sereena, it was always EdSeree,” said Sereena D’Souza, wife of Edward Gonsalves, as she struggled to come to terms with the devastating loss that has shattered her world.
“He was very romantic,” she said softly.
“He stole my heart and took it away… but his heart is still with me,”
Edward Gonsalves, 36, became unresponsive on Saturday evening after suffering a severe brain stroke, according to his wife. The night before the incident, he had spent time with his close friend, Anirudh.
“Ed’s heart stopped and emergency services performed CPR on him. Once they found a pulse, they placed him on manual oxygen support,” Sereena explained, recalling the traumatic moments after she called emergency services.
Edward was rushed to Auckland Hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery before being placed on a ventilator. Three-and-a-half days later, doctors declared him brain dead after determining he was unable to breathe independently, close friend Anirudh said.
“His heart and lungs were functioning, but he was brain dead,” Anirudh said, recalling the distressing call he received from Sereena on Saturday evening.
“The doctors pinched him and tried to wake him while he was on the ventilator to check for any response, but there was none,” Sereena added.
Friends and family describe Edward as a warm, social, and deeply loved person whose presence left a lasting impression on everyone he met.
“He was such a social person,” Sereena said.
Sereena moved to New Zealand in 2023 to join Edward, who had earlier arrived as an international student. He initially worked at a leading Auckland hotel before later transitioning into an office-based role after her arrival.
A Love Story for the Books
“Edward wanted to turn our love story into a book,” Sereena said.
The couple had known each other since childhood through family connections in Mumbai.
“He didn’t like me when we were kids. Our relatives used to tease him, saying Sereena and Edward would get married one day,” she recalled with a smile.
“You know, I was chubby as a child, and he would get irritated whenever our relatives teased us.”
What began as childhood familiarity blossomed years later when the pair reconnected in 2016 as adults. They married in 2018.
“Since then, we were in a long-distance marriage until I arrived in New Zealand in 2023,” Sereena said.
She remembers Edward as someone who always liked to “look his best” and genuinely enjoyed going to work every day.
“He loved jackets, watches, glasses, boots…”
Sereena fondly remembers a husband who regularly took her out on dates and made even ordinary moments feel special.
Edward’s family in Mumbai has been informed and, according to Sereena, “they are not holding up well.”
Friends shared that Edward had previously suffered a stroke in 2022, which resulted in facial palsy, though he later recovered.
“Doctors said this stroke was not related to the previous one. This was just bad luck,” Sereena said.
A Salman Khan Fan, Loved by All
For Edward’s loved ones, the past few days have been incredibly difficult to process.
“The vibe with Edward was different. He was such a wholehearted person,
“Such a lovely soul.”
Remembered as deeply helpful, friendly, and caring, Edward drew an outpouring of support from friends, colleagues, and loved ones. According to family members, nearly 70 people visited the hospital to see him, including employers from overseas and colleagues from across different regions, with some even cutting short holidays to be there.
“His boss called me and said the office feels very quiet without Edward,” Sereena said.
“If you met him for even a minute, or knew him for years, you would always want to meet him again.”
A devoted Salman Khan fan, Edward was also known among friends for his love of cooking and feeding people.
Sereena and Edward’s friends are now raising funds to take him back to Mumbai to be reunited with his elderly parents and for his final rites to be performed there.
Friends of Edward have set up a Givealittle page to support the family. To contribute, click here.
– TINBureau