A GoFundMe to support carer Leanne Flynn and the three children who were attacked outside a school in Dublin on Thursday, November 23 has raised nearly €250k in less than four days.
Flynn, a carer at Gaelscoil Colaiste Mhuire, is "nothing short of a superhero," the organizer of the GoFundMe page said.
The fundraising page, which will also benefit the three young children who were injured in Thursday's stabbing attack, will go to support Flynn "in her time of need like she did for the children so bravely."
An Garda Síochána said that a serious assault occurred on Parnell Square East in Dublin's City Centre shortly after 1:30 pm on Thursday, November 23.
Three children and Flynn were hospitalized after Thursday's attack; the six-year-old girl and the five-year-old boy have since been discharged.
RTE reported on Monday that the five-year-old girl remains hospitalized in critical condition, while Flynn remains hospitalized in serious condition.
A man, aged in his 50s, who was arrested at the scene by gardaí before being brought to hospital with injuries, remains in serious condition in hospital. According to RTE, Gardaí previously said that they are following a "definite line of enquiry" and are not looking for anyone else at present in connection with the attack.
"Leanne hasn't been able to share her story with everybody yet so I'm not gonna put up any details here but she is a hero and I'm so proud of my sister," Flynn's brother Jonathan posted on a GoFundMe page, according to the Irish Mail on Sunday.
Garret FitzGerald told the Sunday World his son's care worker "stepped in front of a knife for him and the other kids.
“She wrestled the guy long enough to allow the other kids to run and for help to arrive. Words fail me. She’s an absolute hero.
“She was one of many heroes – including passers-by who intervened, first responders and the children themselves.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with those still in hospital and anyone who has been affected by this awful tragedy.”
Stacey Power Donohoe, whose husband Warren Donohoe wrestled the attacker to the ground on Thursday, said Flynn is "an absolute hero."
“If she hadn’t wrestled him for as long as she did a lot more children would have died, because he was targeting the children," Donohoe said. "You could see all he wanted to do was to get through her to get to them.”
Donohoe said her husband "ran over and dived on the fella" when they realized what was happening.
“This was at the time the Brazilian fella (Caio Benicio) had go off his bike and was throwing his helmet at him.
“The girl, Leanne, had kicked the knife away from him and the Brazilian lad picked it up and took it across the road and threw it in the bushes.
“As he did that, Warren stayed on top of the attacker – he had him pinned to the floor, but all the while I could see the poor child in the puddle of blood.”
November 23, 2023: An Garda Síochána and emergency services at the scene of a serious incident on Parnell Square East. (RollingNews.ie)
On Friday, An Garda Síochána said it was appealing to any person with any information on this attack to contact investigating Gardaí. Investigating Gardaí are also appealing to any person who may have mobile phone footage of the attack or the immediate aftermath to make this footage available to An Garda Síochána.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Mountjoy Garda Station 01 666 8600 the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.
Meanwhile, An Garda Síochána said on Monday that it is continuing a criminal investigation into all of the circumstances of the violent disorder and public order events that occurred on Thursday night after the stabbing attack.
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