British ColumbiaFamily members and more than 150 supporters gathered in Squamish, B.C., to remember eight-year-old Gandom Taheri. The community has gathered around her mother offering support in person and online Alanna Kelly · CBC News · Posted: Nov 19, 2025 8:17 PM EST | Last Updated: 5 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.Mahsa Hedayatzadeh is pregnant and Gandom was looking forward to being a big sister. (Submitted)More than 150 people came together for the funeral of an eight-year-old Squamish girl on Wednesday.Gandom Taheri, who died on Nov. 11 after falling from a balcony while staying at her father’s Vancouver apartment, was remembered as kind and gentle by those who loved her. “It’s a very tough, emotional day for all of us,” said family friend Sukhi Sandhu.Flowers are placed beside the grave site of an eight-year-old girl in Squamish, B.C., during a funeral on Nov. 19 2025. (Alanna Kelly/CBC )Gandom’s mother, Masha Hedayatzadeh, is well known in the area, having worked as the director of a child-care centre, Willowbrae Academy Squamish.“I just want people to know that Gandom was full of life and I can’t imagine she’s gone. Like it’s, it’s very heartbreaking,” Sandhu said.Gandom was a child that others looked up to, and she loved to make bracelets for other people. “She had a very special bond with younger children, and what we heard was that she had amazing friendships in her school in Squamish, and her friends where she was before [at the] Vancouver school, they are devastated,” Sandhu said.Gandom Taheri loved making bracelets for people, like this one she made with an apple eraser. (Alanna Kelly/CBC)Gandom loved Persian music, art and popcorn. “She was like humming and singing and they would always be surprised, like how she’s learning the lyrics,” Sandhu said. CEO of Willowbrae Academy Squamish Geoff Stollery, said he knew Gandom well and that she made him a bracelet. “Gandom had a beautiful way about her and she had a beautiful soul,” Stollery said. Gandom Taheri with her mother Mahsa Hedayatzadeh and stepfather Jorge Júnior. (Submitted)Gandom’s mother, who has remarried, is currently pregnant. “I know Gandom was very much looking forward to being a big sister,” Stollery said. Hundreds of people donated more than $41,000 on an online fundraiser to support the family. Sandhu said the money raised is going towards the funeral and directly to Hedayatzadeh. Family members flew in from Iran and Brazil to be at the burial on Wednesday.“It’s going to be a very, very tough journey ahead,” Sandhu said. “We are there for her.” Police investigate sudden deathsVancouver police are still investigating the incident. Sgt. Steve Addison with the Vancouver Police Department said police now believe and understand what transpired. “We have a clear picture of what transpired but we are going to share those findings with her family before we share them publicly,” Addison said. Police investigate all sudden deaths to determine whether criminality is involved. ABOUT THE AUTHORAlanna Kelly is a CBC News journalist based in Squamish, B.C., covering the Sea-to-Sky region, including Whistler, Pemberton and the Sunshine Coast. You can email story ideas to alanna.kelly@cbc.ca.
‘Heartbreaking’: Funeral held in Squamish for 8-year-old girl who died after balcony fall
