Nine-year-old injured in London, Ont. attack on Muslim family released from hospital
Fayez Afzaal, the nine-year-old boy who was left an orphan after surviving the deadly June 6 attack on a Muslim family, has been released from hospital, CTV News has learned.
Those close to him say it will be a long road to recovery emotionally for the boy, but having the strength of the community behind him will help in that journey.
At the London Muslim Mosque, which is attached to the London Islamic School where Fayez is a pupil, there continues to be a steady stream of well-wishers and those paying their respects by leaving flowers and gifts.
Among those who came Monday were Dawn and David Nicholson, who presented Imam Abd Alfatah Twakkal with a painting for Fayez.
“We saw the picture of the four people that were killed on the news so my wife decided to sketch it and paint it so that the lone survivor would have something to remember his family by,” said David, as Dawn handed the imam the portrait.
Moments later, Londoner Colleen Murphy left a bouquet of fresh flowers along the fence outside the school. Through tears, Murphy said she grieves for the family and the loss.
“You know I thank God every day to live in Canada. It’s a fantastic country. But this is so sad.”
Asad Choudhary, the principal of the London Islamic School, said he has learned from the family that Fayez is recovering well from his physical injuries.
“The more we think about life after these deaths for Fayez, the more our heart mourns.”
Choudhary said Fayez is expected to be back at school in the fall.
“One of the biggest and most important things to keep in mind is that continuity is important for Fayez. Fayez needs to reunite with his friends, reunite with his teachers, and reunite, really, with the larger family that he has here at our school, as well as in the larger community of London.”
With the family having just been laid to rest on Saturday, Twakkal says only now does the real work begin in terms of healing and recovery.
“There are long-lasting impacts and repercussions that have come from this, and so there’s a lot of support that is going to continue to be needed on various levels, for the family, as well as members of our community.”
In the meantime, the entire student body at the London Islamic School has begun a letter-writing campaign to Fayez so students can extend their support personally, said Choudhary.
“When he is alone, and he’s thinking about sad thoughts, he has a very decorated box to open up to read all of these positive messages from his friends. So we’re hoping to keep that smile on his face.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
A 'tragedy that can't be measured': North Bay's forever chemical problem is also the rest of Canada's
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
opinion How to use your credit card as a powerful wealth-building tool
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Questlove was not happy with Drake and Kendrick Lamar's beef: 'Nobody won the war'
While some may have been excited and/or amused by the diss-track feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, the man many consider to be an elder statesman of hip-hop appears less than enthused about it.
Here's what 'the hinge' move is, how to do it correctly
When you're picking something up from the floor or bending over to tie your shoe laces, you're performing "the hinge move," according to movement trainers.
Trump heading to Jersey Shore to rally 'mega crowd' in weekend break from hush money trial
After a long week in court, Donald Trump is heading to the Jersey Shore. And his campaign says he'll be joined by "tens of thousands" of his friends.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Bouchard lifts Edmonton Oilers to 4-3 overtime win over Canucks in Game 2
Evan Bouchard scored 5:38 into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers bounced back for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday.