The 75-year-old Asian woman who was attacked by a white man in San Francisco last week plans to donate the fundrasier money to the Asian American community.
According to NBC News, Xiao Zhen Xie’s grandson says his grandmother has received nearly $1 million in donations following the brutal attack. The family initially created the GoFundMe account to help pay for her medical bills and the original goal was set for $50,000. However, in just a few days, people donated over $940,000 to Xie and her family.
John Chen, her grandson, gave an update on his grandmother’s condition and revealed their plans to donate the money at her request.
“When we visited our grandma yesterday and today, her overall mental and physical health has improved,” he wrote. “Her eye is no longer [swollen] to the point of not being able to open it. She is now starting to feel optimistic again and is in better spirits.”
He continued, “She said we must not submit to racism and we must fight to the death if necessary. She also stated multiple times to donate all the funds generated in this GoFundMe back to the Asian American community to combat racism. She insists on making this decision saying this issue is bigger than Her. This is my grandma, grandpa and our family’s decision. We hope everyone can understand our decision.”
Last week, Xie was attacked by 39-year-old Steven Jenkins just days after eight people were fatally shot in several Atlanta area spas — six of whom were Asian women. The elderly woman said she was waiting at a traffic light when the man suddenly punched her in her left eye.
Xie’s first instinct was to defend herself. Her daughter said that she picked up a nearby stick and started to beat the man with it. Jenkins was photographed leaving the scene with a bloody face as he was handcuffed to a stretcher. The attack, which she said was completely unprovoked, left her traumatized.