A young man hailed as a “hero” for thwarting an alleged racist attack against a Muslim teen on the Canada Line received a Christmas surprise, thanks to an online fundraiser that aimed to thank the Good Samaritan for his heroic actions.
On Dec. 4, 18-year-old Noor Fadel was riding on the Canada Line when a stranger allegedly assaulted her and said that he’d kill all Muslims.
Jake Taylor was the only fellow passenger who stepped in to assist, placing himself between Fadel and the suspect and pushing him away.
“He’s my hero,” Fadel said of Taylor following the attack.
A 46-year-old man was arrested and charged in connection to the incident.
Fadel was deeply grateful for Taylor’s help, and she wasn’t alone.
Foreign correspondent Muhammad Lila said the story struck a chord with him so he started an online campaign to give him “the best Christmas ever.”
Lila said he created the campaign because “it’s a Canadian thing to do to say thank you.”
WATCH: Muslim teen thanks transit ‘hero’ who defended her against an alleged racist attack
“Another person might say, ‘Hey, you know what, you did a great thing — I’m going to buy you lunch.’ The amazing thing about the internet and social media is that it’s not just one person offering to buy him lunch — you’re talking with thousands of people around the world.”
As part of the campaign, Taylor was presented with a handmade book filled with letters of thanks from around the world.
The biggest surprise came when Taylor and Fadel attended the Vancouver Canucks game against the St. Louis Blues on Saturday night. Fadel and Taylor were given tickets to the game and during a break in play, the pair were shown on the scoreboard at Rogers Arena.
“We are pleased to welcome a true community hero,” the public address announcer said told the crowd, who gave Fadel and Taylor a huge ovation.
” I wanted that for him,” Fadel said. “I wanted him to get that ovation. He’s amazing.”
— With files from Kristen Robinson and Jesse Ferreras