Troy Student Raises Thousands for Syrian Refugee: Give

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TROY, MI - More than $15,650 has been raised through crowdfunding to support a Troy-bound Syrian refugee whose emotional story touched the hearts of many, including President Obama.

The unnamed scientist’s haunting story unfolded in a series of posts on the Humans of New York Facebook blog. Seven members of his family, including his wife and a daughter, were killed two years ago when a government anti-personnel missile loaded with 116 shrapnel- and needle-filled bombs tore through his family’s compound, literally chewing victims to pieces.

• See Patch’s original story: Read Obama’s ‘Sweet Welcome’ to Troy-Bound Syrian

The account on GoFundMe was established by Daniel Mingee Kang, of Troy, and endorsed by Humans of New York.

“I find it unacceptable that a man this capable doesn’t have the resources to apply his intellect to the benefit of humanity,” Kang wrote. “Most refugees come with little more than what they can carry with them to America. This is a donation drive to establish this man in Troy and garner what little funding we can for his projects. All funding will go straight to him.

“As little as $5 makes a difference. It’s not just the amount of dollar signs that gets attributed to the campaign but the amount of support that comes from the community.”

Kang, a 20-year-old University of Michigan student studying computer science, told WJBK-TV that he “can’t comprehend the trauma that his entire family had to go through” and wanted to give the man a head start when he arrives in Troy with the crowdfunding campaign.

In four days, more than half of the $30,000 goal had been raised.

“I’m really honored,” Kang told the TV station. “I think that Troy is the best place he could have come to.”

the man and his family are expected to arrive in Troy near the end of the next week, Sean Defour, a representative of the Lutheran Social Services, told WJBK.

He added that the refugees from Syria are “the most rigorously screened population in the U.S.”