Donations for Bondi Beach hero Ahmed el Ahmed, the man who helped disarm a gunman during the deadly Bondi Beach shooting on Dec. 14, have surpassed AU$2 million (S$1.7 million) as he remains in hospital after being shot at least twice. Ahmed was rushed to St George Hospital following the attack and underwent surgery, with his family saying he is now recovering but remains in a serious condition, according to Reuters. ADVERTISEMENT He now faces the possibility of losing an arm. A GoFundMe campaign was launched by a Bondi Junction-based car company and initially set a target of AU$300,000 (S$258,000). The fundraising goal was smashed within hours, with donations continuing to surge past AU$2 million (S$1.7 million) in the days that followed. Among the largest individual donations was a AU$99,999 (S$85,700) contribution from Jewish-American hedge fund manager William Ackman, who said on social media that Ahmed’s bravery deserved recognition, as reported by the Daily Telegraph. The creator of the fundraiser, Thomas Traynor, also donated AU$50,000 (S$42,850). On the GoFundMe page, he described Ahmed’s actions as “selfless, instinctive and undeniably heroic”, that he had “stepped forward without hesitation” and added that the confrontation had prevented the loss of “countless more lives”. Doctors treating Ahmed have warned that he may yet lose an arm as a result of the injuries he sustained during the attack, the New Zealand Herald reported. Ahmed’s migration lawyer, Sam Issa, told the Sydney Morning Herald, as cited by the New Zealand Herald, that the pain from his injuries was beginning to affect him. “He’s not well at all. He’s riddled with bullets. Our hero is struggling at the moment.” Issa added that Ahmed suffered around five bullet wounds to his left arm, including one that penetrated the back of his left shoulder blade. He said Ahmed’s actions reflected his gratitude towards Australia. “He gets that gratitude from being in Australia. This is his way of conveying his gratitude for staying in Australia, for being granted citizenship.” As Ahmed continues his recovery in the hospital, messages of support have continued to flood in from around the world, with many describing him as a hero whose split-second decision helped save lives during one of the deadliest attacks in Bondi’s history. Ahmed’s father, Mohamed Fateh al Ahmed, described his son as a hero to ABC News, saying he instinctively moved to protect others when he saw people lying injured on the ground. He said: “When he saw people laying on the ground and the blood everywhere, immediately his conscience and his soul compelled him to pounce on one of the terrorists and rid him of his weapon. “I feel pride and honour, because my son is a hero of Australia.”
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