The husband and father of four has been in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) since April, after he suffered a stroke during an agonising 14-hour surgical procedure that left him paralysed from the neck down.
Prior to the procedure, which was his second surgery to remove a benign tumour near his brain stem, the soccer referee and beloved community man was described as “fit, healthy, and full of life”.
As he fights to recover from a stroke that has caused severe brain neuron damage, Mr Caiafa’s family continues to make regular three-hour trips down to Melbourne to be at his bedside.
A GoFundMe appeal was set up to help to relieve the financial burden on his loved ones during this difficult time, with funds raised going towards easing the family’s living expenses, accommodation and travel.
The fundraising match between Shepparton United Soccer Club and a Shepparton Nations Cup Best XI proved successful on August 30, with spectators and players coming together for the cause down at John McEwen Reserve.
The Best XI side consisted of captains from across ten different nations.
Nations Cup vice-president Ali Al-Najar spoke with pride after the efforts of the soccer community to ensure that Mr Caiafa and his family feel their support.
“Paul was one of the referees that has refereed in various leagues and also the Nations Cup over the last three years,” Al-Najar said.
“So when Shepparton United reached out to us and wanted to run this game together, we were straight on board to show our love and support to Paul and his family.
“There was a great turnout in terms of the community to contribute to this fundraiser and we put together as diverse a team as possible in terms of players from the Shepparton Nations Cup countries.
“This time, we sent out invites to all nations involved in the Nations Cup and tried to mix the players as much as we could in the squad.
“I played in the Nations Cup XI and we had a really good time on the pitch, everyone was there for the right purpose and we played a good friendly game with plenty of good vibes and goals.
“Shout-out to Shepparton United and their support, all of the captains from the different nations who got on board and also Shepparton as a whole - they haven’t let Paul and his family down.”
He expressed his hope that the beloved referee will be back officiating at games in the future, as his recovery continues.
“Paul is a lovely person and, during his time refereeing at the Nations Cup, we worked together well with him and the team of referees,” Al-Najar said.
“He’s someone that always comes with good energy and big smiles and is really committed to the football community.
“He expresses himself in the best possible way on and off the pitch and he has always been someone that players get along with as a referee.
“He’s a very fair referee and our relationship goes back three years - we’ve seen nothing but good from him.”
