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Bridgewater's Kelvin Lee, 24, woke up around 3 a.m. on Oct. 24 to someone choking him from above at an apartment on Main Street in Sayreville, according to Jeff Roscher, Lee’s uncle.
Lee was then brutally attacked with a knife and sustained serious injuries, MyCentralJersey reports citing Sayreville Police Capt. Dan Plumacker.
“All the tendons and nerves in his left arm were severed,” Roscher told Daily Voice. “He had a large cut on his face. He had the knife stuck into his skull, where it broke off leaving a one-inch piece of the blade stuck.”
But it didn’t end there: Lee fought back and was eventually able to put the perpetrator in a headlock before talking him down and convincing him not to hurt them.
The alleged attacker, Jordan Hamm, 23, of New Brunswick, was an ex-boyfriend of Lee’s friend, Roscher said.
“He was there to kill them and then commit suicide,” said Roscher. “Even after all of this, Kelvin was able to convince the perpetrator to leave so that they could get him medical attention.”
Lee underwent several operations in the hospital following the attack and will soon begin rehabilitation, Roscher said. Lee’s aunt, Sue Roscher, created a GoFundMe to help with his medical expenses.
“He spent many hours in surgery and days in ICU and will not be able return to work or school in the near future,” reads the fundraiser, which had garnered nearly $20,000 as of Wednesday afternoon.
Lee, who was just one semester away from an automotive technology degree at Raritan Valley Community College, had been working as a server at TGIFridays in Bridgewater.
“Kelvin is someone that would do anything for anyone,” said Roscher. “He is very modest. Kelvin is not the type of person to cause trouble or to fight with anyone.”
Despite the surge in donations, Roscher said the bills are already beginning to pile up.
“The bills have started coming in and they are dramatically higher than expected,” he said. “The current GoFundMe goal won't even cover half of the balance of the first hospital bill, even after insurance.”
Lee is known for his incredible generosity and humble attitude he displayed both before and after the incident.
“It is truly amazing that he was able to fend off the attacker and save his life and the life of his friend. Even with all of this he doesn't give himself enough credit or consider himself a hero. We all know better.”
Click here to view/donate to ‘NJ Hero Recovery’ on GoFundMe.
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