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Friends of the 36-year-old Ottawa mother who was stabbed to death at a Hunt Club playground last week are asking people to honour her memory by showing “compassion and kindness” to her husband and loved ones.
Family friends of Brkti Berhe have started a GoFundMe campaign aimed at “lifting up her family and showing them they are not alone … as the family navigates through this devastating and challenging journey.
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“She brought joy, laughter and warmth into the lives of everyone she encountered. Her kindness and compassion was unmatched and her unique ability to make those around her feel loved and comforted,” wrote family friends.
The mother of four children, aged eight months, three, 10 and 15, was at Paul Landry Park on Uplands Drive on Thursday morning with her two youngest children when a man jumped out of a car and attacked her with a knife, according to horrified eyewitnesses.
He drove off as bystanders cared for her children and comforted the dying Berhe. Several men chased and photographed the vehicle, which police said helped them make a quick arrest on Highway 417 near Casselman shortly after the attack.
Fsha Tekhle, 36, has been charged with first-degree murder. Police said he had a domestic relationship with a family member of the victim and believed he was returning to Montreal when he was arrested.
Throughout the weekend, shattered neighbours stopped by the park, some leaving flowers or toys, others talking about how shaken and angry they are after the attack on Berhe.
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Her friends, in the GoFundMe, describe Behre as a “truly remarkable person.
“Brkti Berhe was an amazing mother to four beautiful children (8 months, 3, 10 and 15 years old) and a loving wife to her husband.”
The fundraising campaign is aimed at alleviating the financial burden of funeral expenses and providing ongoing support to the family “as they mourn the loss of a wonderful mother and devoted wife.”
The GoFundMe campaign, with a goal of $50,000, is the second fundraiser aimed at helping the family.
On Saturday, the head of the Hunt Club Community Association said they had started a fundraising campaign after hearing from so many community members — most of whom did not know Berhe but who wanted to do something to help the family.
On Saturday, several residents choked up as they talked about the stabbing.
“That this happened in a children’s park. It breaks my heart,” neighbour Lina Gosselin said.
Berhe’s family has asked for privacy.
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