According to the Guardian newspaper, the father — whose name was not identified — is a scientist who lost seven members of his family, including his wife, in a blast two years ago. The story of the family was published on the Humans of New York blog, which contributed to efforts of collecting over half a million dollars for the father, his daughter and son before they moved to the United States.
According to the UNHCR, there are over 4 million Syrian refugees scattered around the globe, and the number continues to increase as the protracted conflict looks to be without end.
US President Barack Obama announced his support for the family in a poignant message, and American actor Edward Norton has collected more than US$425,000 dollars for the father after he read about the family's tragic story.
Obama's official Facebook page commented on the Syrian family's story, saying: "As a husband and a father, I cannot even begin to imagine the loss you've endured. You and your family are an inspiration. I know that the great people of Michigan will embrace you with the compassion and support you deserve. Yes, you can still make a difference in the world, and we're proud that you'll pursue your dreams here. Welcome to your new home. You're part of what makes America great."
The Guardian reported that Obama has pledged to receive 10,000 Syrian refugees over the next year, but many Americans criticized the move for fear that Islamist extremists might be hiding among the refugees. Such fears were further ignited following a call by Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump to ban the entry of Muslims into the United States, a comment that has also been the subject of criticism.
Norton was touched by the Syrian family's story so he decided to raise funds for them on his Crowdrise website.
“I saw this story on one of my favorite sites, Humans of New York, and it moved me to tears,” Norton said.
"My father was a farmer and my mother was a housewife," said the Syrian scientist in his story on the Humans of New York page. "I graduated from high school with the third highest scores in all of Syria. I worked in construction in the evenings to pay for my school…I was given a scholarship to pursue my PhD. I suffered for my dream."
"My ultimate goal was to become a great scientist and make a lasting contribution to humanity,” he continued.
He started a family with his wife and together they faced hard times but were able to raise their children to be successful and well-educated.
"My daughter was studying to be a doctor. My son was the smartest in his school…We had no affiliation with any party or regime. Everyone loved us, honestly.”
The Syrian man said he saved his money and built a compound that he designed for his family by himself, but government missiles destroyed his house and killed his wife, daughter, his brother and the family of his brother.
"The first missile tore through the yellow house and exploded inside the pink house…The pink house belonged to my brother and his entire family was torn to pieces," said the Syrian man, adding that a total of 16 people died in the attack, seven of whom were his family members.
"Nobody was around to help, so my son had to carry the pieces of his mother and sister out of the house. He was fourteen at the time. He was so smart. He was the top of his class. He's not the same. Right after it happened, he’d write ‘mom’ in his notebook over and over. He’d cry all night long."
The man said his son has suffered psychologically after the disaster and his daughter still has shrapnel in her neck from the attack.
The Syrian scientist and his remaining family moved to Turkey aftere the attack, where he said he led a very difficult life and was not able to afford rent or fees for his children's schooling. He could not get a job because he had no residence permit.
"There is a university here that is teaching with a book I wrote, but it still won’t give me a job," he said.
The Syrian man said he discovered tumors in his stomach shortly after he moved to Turkey. "I had no problems before the bombing. I think the cancer came from my sadness and my stress."
He went to five hospitals, none of which could offer him help, especially because he had no insurance or benefits.
"I still think I have a chance to make a difference in the world. I have several inventions that I’m hoping to patent once I get to America."
He noted that one of his inventions was being used on the Istanbul metro to generate electricity from the movement of the train.
"I have sketches for a plane that can fly for 48 hours without fuel. I’ve been thinking about a device that can predict earthquakes weeks before they happen. I just want a place to do my research," he said.
The three family members recently moved to Troy City, Michigan in the United States.
