An act of kindness made American actor Edward Norton a trending topic on social media today. The actor started an online campaign to raise money for a Syrian refugee who is being resettled in the state of Michigan.
The unnamed Syrian scientist shared his story with the website Humans of New York. The popular blog tells the life stories of strangers, mostly living in New York City. In recent months, Humans of New York has centered on the stories of refugees. The scientist is a father of seven. He lost his wife and a daughter in a missile strike in Syria. He is now suffering from stomach cancer, and needs advanced treatment once he arrives in the United States.
Humans of New York posted the scientist’s story late last week. The post got the attention of Edward Norton. Over the weekend, he started a campaign on Crowdrise.com to raise money for the man’s medical expenses. By Monday afternoon, the campaign had raised more than $400,000.
Norton wrote, “If we don’t welcome people like this into our communities and empower his dream of making an impact with his life, then we’re not the country we tell ourselves we are.” The Syrian scientist’s story also got the attention of President Barack Obama. He wrote a post on the on Humans of New York Facebook page. The president wrote, “As a husband and a father, I cannot even begin to imagine the loss you’ve endured. You and your family are an inspiration. I know that the great people of Michigan will embrace you with the compassion and support you deserve.”
