Good-hearted Australians have rushed to support the family of murdered mother Ashlee Good following the tragic Westfield Bondi Junction massacre last weekend.
Osteopath Ms Good, 38, was one of five women and a man fatally stabbed by knifeman Joel Cauchi at the busy shopping center in Sydney’s east on Saturday afternoon.
Mrs Good and her nine-month-old daughter Harriet, who was also stabbed, were both rushed to hospital. Mrs Good tragically died in hospital on Saturday evening, while her baby remains in a serious but stable condition.
Following the tragic stabbing, thousands of Australians have united to raise almost $400,000 in support of Ms Good’s partner Dan and her baby daughter.
A GoFundMe page has been set up by Ms Good’s heartbroken loved ones to raise money for baby Harriet, who remains in the CICU at Sydney Children’s Hospital.
Kind-hearted Australians have rushed to support the family of murdered mother Ashlee Good following the tragic Westfield Bondi Junction massacre last weekend
As of 9am on Tuesday morning, $381,308 has already been raised to support Ms Good’s hospitalized daughter Harriet, who was also stabbed
As of 9am on Tuesday morning, $381,308 has already been raised for Mrs Good’s grieving family, with 250 donations recorded so far in the first 48 hours of the fundraiser.
Two anonymous donations of $5,000 each were also listed as the top donations, as heartbroken members of the public shared their support in messages to the family.
They wrote: ‘It is an honor to contribute to this beautiful young, brave mother. May her family take some comfort in the support they receive from strangers affected by this senseless act.”
‘I have a 16-month-old child and I can never imagine someone so horrible. Sending all the positivity to your family,” wrote another.
‘Dan, sending so much love and support to you and your little girl x;’ “Sending you lots of love,” someone added.
“Sending love, strength and courage to Dan, Harriet and their family. We hope your little one recovers quickly,” another contributor wrote.
Ms Good, 38, was one of five women and a man fatally stabbed by knifeman Joel Cauchi at the busy shopping center on Saturday (Photo: Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger store workers lay flowers at the Bondi Junction memorial on Monday)
The fundraiser was created by Isagenix CEO Steve Foxwell, who has worked with Ms. Good over the years, and has been verified by her close friend and attorney Rebekah Giles.
A description on the page describes Mrs Good as a “ray of sunshine” and says her grieving loved ones are “united” in their “devastation that her bright future was cut short.”
It read: “This Go Fund Me page is authorized by the family of Ashlee Good. It was set up to support Ash’s little girl, Harriet, who is in the CICU at Sydney Children’s Hospital.
“Our hearts were broken beyond words when we heard 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.
Six people were stabbed to death at Westfield Bondi Junction on Saturday (pictured left-right, Jade Young, 47, Pikria Darchia, 55, Dawn Singleton, 25, Yixuan Cheng, 27, Ashlee Good, 38 and Faraz Tahir, 30)
“We have been overwhelmed with requests from loved ones and strangers wanting to support Dan and Harriet as they navigate life without their beloved Ash.
‘Being a mother to baby Harriet and partner to Dan was Ash’s whole life. Her love and devotion to them was evident to all who knew her.
We are united in our devastation that her bright future was cut short in this way. Her beautiful and warm spirit, drive and energy inspired us all.
‘These funds are being raised for the benefit of Dan and Harriet to give them the freedom to move into the future without financial burden or worry. We know that no amount of money can ever replace her presence in their lives and thank you for your generous donations thus far.”
Mrs. Good pushed her injured baby into the arms of two strangers at the Tommy Hilfiger store on Saturday afternoon and begged them to save her daughter’s life. The two brothers used clothes to stop the baby’s bleeding
Meanwhile, Foxwell added: ‘It is of course open to everyone who knew and loved Ash, and of course to members of the public who have been touched by her story.
“Isagenix will ensure that this money is paid out in full to Dan. This page has been verified by Ash’s good friend Rebekah Giles, a lawyer, who has received permission from the family to collect this money.
“She can be contacted through the website of her law firm, Giles George, for verification. We thank you for your patience as we have worked with the family over the past few days.”
Advertising heiress Dawn Singleton, 25, architect Jade Young, 47, artist Pikria Darchia, 55, security guard Faraz Tahir, 30, and student Yixuan Cheng, 27, were the other five shoppers killed in the stabbing in Westfield Bondi Junction.
In addition, a fundraiser in memory of Mr Tahir has already raised $32,672, while as of 9am on Tuesday, more than $70,000 has been raised for Ms Young’s family.
Tommy Hilfiger staff had worked to save the baby and her mother’s life by collecting clothes in the store and helping compress their wounds (photo: staff are seen paying tribute at the mall)
A community GoFundMe page called Westfield Bondi: How to Help details all the fundraising efforts set up for the victims’ families, as Australians continue to donate in support.
Queensland man Joel Cauchi was shot dead by police officer Amy Scott about 3.20pm on Saturday after stabbing six people to death and wounding several others at Bondi Junction Westfield.
Mrs. Good pushed her injured baby into the arms of two strangers at the Tommy Hilfiger store on Saturday afternoon and selflessly begged them to save her daughter’s life, despite being seriously injured herself.
The Calvin Klein manager told Ny Breaking Australia how Tommy Hilfiger staff had worked to save the baby and her mother’s life by collecting clothes from the store and helping compress their wounds.
Queensland man Joel Cauchi was shot dead by police officer Amy Scott on Saturday after stabbing six people to death and wounding several others at Bondi Junction Westfield (photo: emergency vehicles on scene)
Ms Good’s family released a statement on Sunday sharing their grief and providing an update on baby Harriet, who remains in hospital in a serious but stable condition.
“Today we are reeling from the devastating loss of Ashlee, a beautiful mother, daughter, sister, partner, friend, an extraordinary human being and so much more,” it said.
“We appreciate the wishes and thoughts of members of the Australian public who have expressed their love for Ashlee and our little girl.
“We are so grateful for the expert care and attention from the medical team at Sydney Children’s Hospital.
‘We would also like to thank the New South Wales Police for their kindness and dedication to this tragedy and the emergency services for getting our baby the care she needed as quickly as possible.
Hundreds of people fled the busy shopping center in Sydney’s east during the terrifying attack, with many shoppers uploading a vision of the chaos inside to social media
“To the two men who held and cared for our baby when Ashlee couldn’t, words cannot express our gratitude.”
Hundreds of people fled the busy shopping center in Sydney’s east during the terrifying attack, with many shoppers uploading their views of the chaos inside to social media.
Authorities have praised Officer Scott who entered the dangerous situation and shot Cauchi, as well as several customers who confronted him during the ordeal and temporarily slowed his progress.
Consideration is being given to erecting a permanent memorial near the mall, where floral arrangements have since been left.