Help Yao Pan Ma & His Family After Brutal Assault
UPDATE: Phillip Lim (the fashion designer) has setup a GoFundMe for Mr Ma and his family that will be the official one going forward. Please donate there. All money from this fundraiser will also go to the Ma family. GoFundMe is handling.
DISCLAIMER: Mr. Ma's family will be the ONLY people to receive money from this fundraiser. GoFundMe's Trust & Safety Team is coordinating with the family to make sure they receive these funds. NO bank details have been added to this fundraiser yet and withdrawals cannot be made until the beneficiary is added (gofundme guidelines here).
ANOTHER elderly Asian person has been attacked and is in a medically induced coma, fighting for his life after his head was stomped on repeatedly. He was collecting bottles to help his family make ends meet. More details below.
I'm Pam, a Chinese-American NYC native, who just finished co-leading an AAPI ride for justice when I saw this story. I'm heartbroken and pissed off and raising funds to support his medical bills, help his family make ends meet AND give them some financial relief while they deal with this horrific tragedy.
What Happened:
Around 8pm on Friday night (4/23) Yao Pan Ma, 61, was collecting cans in NYC to help his family make ends meet. He was on Third Avenue and E 125th Street when a man hit him from behind, knocked him over, and kicked him in the head at least six times. The senseless attack was caught on video and is being investigated as a potential hate crime.
He immigrated to NYC 2 years ago and moved to Harlem after his family's Chinatown apartment burned down. According to his wife of 31 years (Baozhen Chen, a home attendant who takes care of the elderly), Ma used to work in a restaurant — helping the cook and washing dishes, but lost his job because of the pandemic.
That’s why he was collecting bottles and cans... to do whatever he could to help his family.
“When I saw him in the hospital … his face, I cried. I still cry,” said Chen, who called out her husband’s name during her Saturday morning visit, “asking if he could hear me."
“He didn’t give me a response.”
Help Find the Suspect
The suspect is still on the loose, and was last seen wearing a black jacket, black pants, white sneakers and a multi-colored baseball cap, police said. Please call NYPD Crime Stoppers with any tips. [teléfono redactado].
