SASKATOON -- Xiao Zhen Xie, who was hospitalized after fighting off an alleged attacker in San Francisco on Wednesday, has been surprised with a groundswell of donations from people wishing to show their support.
People in Canada and across the United States donated more than US$875,000 to Xie, who was injured one day after six Asian-Americans were shot dead in spas in Georgia.
Xieās grandson said sheās suffering from two black eyes, facial swelling and wrist damage, according to a he started three days ago.
He said it was set up to help pay for her medical expenses. He wrote that heās been āamazed by her bravery,ā saying sheās improved slightly, but worries about her mental health.
"She has been severely affected mentally, physically, and emotionally. She also stated that she is afraid to step out of her home from now on,ā grandson John Chen wrote. āThis traumatic event has left her with PTSD. Although she has health insurance that covers the basics, there are still many medical expenses that cannot be covered on her own. She is a cancer survivor and she also has had diabetes for over 10 years now."
He thanked supporters in the subsequent post, but he said any mention of the incident is still very triggering for his grandmother.
"Whenever the issue is brought up to her, she gets extremely emotional and starts crying," Chenās post reads. "We have to constantly calm her down and comfort her from her PTSD."
During a visit yesterday, he said his grandmother kept repeating the phrase āIām so scared, Iām so scaredā in Cantonese.
Since the start of the pandemic, thereās been a staggering spike in the number of reported anti-Asian attacks in Canada and the U.S, with many in Canada sharing their grief and expressing frustration.
San Francisco , who is currently faces charges of assault and elder abuse, after he allegedly assaulted Xie and an 83-year-old Vietnamese man near the cityās U.N. Plaza.
The other victim, 83-year-old Ngoc Pham, is continuing to recover from his injuries, which included a fractured nose and possibly-fractured neck, according to local reports.
The for him, run by Community Youth Center of San Francisco, has raised more than US$258,000 -- smashing their initial goal of US$25,000.
None of the allegations have been tested in court.
