Nursing student provided first aid to Chinatown stabbing victim

A nursing student who provided first-aid to the meal-delivery worker who was stabbed last week in Chinatown last weekend says since the COVID-19 pandemic, “things (have) definitely got more intense” in the area.

Klara McCallum, a fourth-level nursing student at Sprott Shaw College, was one of many bystanders who helped the 22-year-old victim who was stabbed multiple times in his chest and throat.

Police called the event an “unprovoked” attack.

“There were some people already calling 911 and helping to stop all the bleeding. So I just tried to give little order to the chaos,” McCallum said.

The attack happened near Gore Street and East Pender Street last Sunday evening.

McCallum says the entire event was terrifying, but looking back, she says she’s mainly just sad for the Chinatown community.

“No community wants to have a person like this walking around,” said McCallum, referring to the attacker.

“I can tell it’s not getting better (in the area). I think there’s becoming a bigger and bigger gap, and more of an environment for those altercations (to happen).”

The victim, who immigrated to Canada recently, is now recovering in hospital.

McCallum, who’s visited the man, says he’s holding up as well as someone could be.

“He’s doing OK, he does have wounds in his post-op, he’s lost a lot of weight compared to the first time I saw him. But he was very keen on returning to work. He does not want this to affect him as much as it has.”

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Police say the victim is expected to pull through.

McCallum also started a GoFundMe for the victim with the goal of raising $10,000.

A 43-year-old suspect has been charged in connection to this attack.