An Australian woman and her baby were taking a trip to a shopping mall, where they ended up as victims in a stabbing spree — and the desperate mother’s last act was to throw her baby in the arms of strangers with a plea for them to help save her life.
Ashlee “Ash” Good was shopping with her nine-month-old daughter Harriet at Westfield Bondi Junction in Sydney when 40-year-old Joel Cauchi began stabbing shoppers; in total, six people were killed, and 12 were injured. According to witnesses, Good was pushing Harriet in a stroller when Cauchi reached into the stroller and stabbed Harriet; he then began stabbing Good as well. Her first thought was to get help for her baby.
“She handed us the baby and said ‘please help, help,'” one of the two men who helped care for the baby said. “She was bleeding from her head, her face … the baby was bleeding.”
In another interview, he explained that they tried to do all they could to stem the bleeding for both. “The mum came over with the baby and threw it at me, and I was just holding the baby,” one of a pair of brothers told 9News. “I just helped out, just holding the baby and trying to compress the baby, and same with the mother, trying to compress the blood from stopping and calling the ambulance and police. We just kept yelling out to get some clothes to help us compress and stop the baby bleeding.”
#BREAKING: Live interview with man who helped a baby that had been stabbed during the Bondi Westfield attacks earlier today. #9News pic.twitter.com/lM6APm05AY
— 9News Sydney (@9NewsSyd) April 13, 2024
Tragically, Good did not survive her injuries; baby Harriet, however, did. After undergoing emergency surgery, she is now doing well.
“Today we are reeling from the terrible loss of Ashlee, a beautiful mother, daughter, sister, partner, friend, all round outstanding human and so much more,” the Good family said in a statement, adding, “To the two men who held and cared for our baby when Ashlee could not – words cannot express our gratitude. We are struggling to come to terms with what has occurred. We would appreciate peace and privacy while we work through this as a family.”
Cauchi was eventually killed on the scene when he was confronted by Amy Scott, a policewoman who chased after him. She shot Cauchi after he lunged at her with the knife, and then immediately began performing CPR. She has been hailed as a hero for her actions.
Good was an account manager at DocuSign who had just returned to work after giving birth. Just one month ago, she wrote on LinkedIn about the joy she found in motherhood. “And just like that, seven beautiful months have passed and it’s time to return to the office,” she wrote. “It’s not lost on me what a privilege it is to become a parent. And then to be gifted some extra time away from work to spend with your child… it’s very special.”
