During the horrific Sydney stabbing spree this past weekend, a brave mother’s last act was throwing her nine-month-old baby into the arms of strangers to save the child’s life. 38-year-old Ash Good was the first identified victim who died in a hospital on Saturday evening from fatal stab wounds at Westfield Bondi Junction, a popular shopping center.
Unfortunately, the baby was also injured during the incident where a 40-year-old male suspect armed with a knife attacked and stabbed several people. In total, the suspect killed six people, and eight victims were hospitalized with injuries. The suspect was shot and killed by a police officer who was the first law enforcement officer to respond to the scene.
According to two witnesses, Good handed them her baby, begging them for help before being taken away in an ambulance. “The baby got stabbed,” one witness said. The witnesses reportedly assisted in compressing the wounds on the mother and the baby before paramedics arrived.
“The mom got stabbed, and the mom came over with the baby and threw it at me and [I] was holding the baby,” one witness described. They further detailed how the sustained injuries were “very bad,” claiming “there was a lot of blood on the floor.”
“The mother was terrified, the mother was sad, just holding (and) comforting the baby,” said Resse Colmenares, another witness to the horrific scene who hid in a nearby store as the attack was unfolding. Furthermore, Sky News anchor Laura Jayes noted on live television that she knew Good but did not mention her name.
“She has a beautiful circle of friends. She’s a beautiful woman. She was an incredible athlete. And she had the world at her feet. She got married in recent years,” Jayes said. The anchor described Good as a “mother in the prime of her life.”
The Sky News anchor, becoming visibly emotional, outlined how tragic and difficult the situation must have been for a mother to go through. “If you have a new baby like that, a nine-month-old, you are still well and truly in the newborn phase. You are with that baby all the time,” she said. “And for her, I can’t imagine her needing to hand over the most precious thing in her life.”
A fundraiser has since been organized to support Ahs Good’s nine-month-old daughter Harriet who remains in the critical intensive care unit at Sydney Children’s Hospital. “Our hearts were broken beyond comprehension as we learned of the tragic loss of our beautiful friend, Ash, in the stabbing attack at Westfield Bondi Junction on Saturday afternoon. Ash was a ray of sunshine and positivity in every aspect of her life and died a hero saving her little girl from the most unspeakable evil,” the fundraiser states, speaking highly of Good.
While no amount of money can make up for the tragic loss of the mother, the outpouring of support will go on to assist Good’s family. “We have been overwhelmed by requests from loved ones and strangers wanting to support Dan and Harriet as they face life without their beloved Ash. Being a mother to baby Harriet and partner to Dan was Ash’s whole life. Her love and commitment to them was evident to all who knew her,” it added.
Featured image credit: GoFundme
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