Alberta company raises funds for Calgary man in Turkey helping injured siblings | 24CA News

An Alberta firm has began a fundraising marketing campaign to assist a Calgary man who’s now in Turkey aiding injured kinfolk.

Mohammad Ajmal Nikzad left Calgary on Feb. 6 to seek for his household, who stay within the devastated Turkish metropolis of Kahramanmaraş.

The seven-storey constructing wherein his mom and three siblings lived is in ruins. Nikzad’s mom and sister had been killed and his surviving sister and brother are in critical situation in hospitals in numerous cities.

“Right now I have to take them out of here,” he stated in an interview with Global News from the Turkish metropolis of Kayseri.

“I have to take them with me to my house in Calgary. I have to take care of them out there because I cannot leave them in this situation.”

Nikzad works as a contractor putting in flooring in southern Alberta. The president of A Gallery of Floors in Olds, Alta., north of Calgary, describes Nikzad as a tough employee who has been with the corporate for round 10 years.

“We are a tightknit bunch here. AJ has been a very important part of our company. He’s like family to all of us,” stated Shaun Waite from his workplace in Olds.

“His wife had sent us a video of the collapsed building and we all knew at that point that this was going to be a difficult journey for AJ and we wanted to do everything we could to support him because he is part of our family,” Waite stated, who began a GoFundMe marketing campaign to assist his good friend.

“Nobody can really imagine the pain and stress and anxiety that he must be feeling and going through.

“We have a lot of respect for him. And he’s such a hard worker. He’s such a hard worker he really takes care of his family,”

Nikzad stated his household is initially from Afghanistan, however moved to Turkey when his father was killed and his mom, who was a principal at a highschool, acquired dying threats.

“She came to Turkey to be safe. She had 6,000 students and she was fighting for girls to study,” Nikzad stated.

“She would never let their school be closed until they killed my father out there too.”

Waite stated Nikzad’s journey makes his story much more heartbreaking. He hopes that cash from the fundraiser will assist Nizkad’s household in Turkey and in Calgary.

“He is a contractor, so if he’s not working, he’s not making money. He’s been gone now for three weeks. He has his wife and eight-year-old son … he’s dealing with his brother and his sister, who have lost limbs. They are in for a hard road for themselves.

“We’re going to do some things at the store with donation boxes. We’re going to do some sales here and profit-sharing — whatever we can. He’s not making money so we’re all going to chip in as best as we can to do whatever we can. But we know whatever we can offer … it’s not going to be enough,” Waite stated.

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