A crowdfunding page has raised almost $20,000 to help with his medical bills.
An advertising student has been stabbed nine times after asking a man to stop catcalling his girlfriend.
Ben Schwartz was attacked in San Francisco last weekend while walking home from a party with his girlfriend Miyoko Moody, the Daily Mail reported.
The San Francisco Chronicle said the incident happened near the intersection of Larkin and Ellis streets around 4:45am on Saturday.
The newspaper quotes a friend of the pair, Daniela Saavedra, as claiming they had passed the man twice and he had catcalled Moody both times.
Schwartz told ABC 7 News: "At first we tried to just ignore it, just kind of walk away and make our way home, cross the street and try to take a different path."
However the man began to follow the couple and things quickly escalated.
"It turned violent very quickly, punches thrown," Schwartz said. "Next thing I know, I kinda had a knife in the back of my neck."
Saavedra told the Chronicle, Schwartz was stabbed in the face, neck, arms and back, resulting in a punctured lung and 60 stitches on his arms alone.
The 31-year-old student has now been released from hospital.
He told ABC 7 News: "It barely missed my spinal cord in the back by just a few inches, so luckily this wheelchair is not permanent, thank God. I punctured my right lung from behind."
A crowdfunding page has now been set up to help him recover.
The page claims doctors said Schwartz was lucky to be alive given how close the stab wounds were to his main arteries and spinal cord.
I think I can speak on behalf of all of Ben's friends when I say he is the sweetest most loving friend out there. He is there when you need a good laugh, a hug, or even just someone to listen to you. It's shocking to think something like this could happen to such an amazing person.
That is why we are trying to raise money to help Ben and his girlfriend Miyoko get through these tough times. Every little bit helps! We are hoping to raise enough money to help them with rent and also the dreaded medical bills. So please find it in your hearts to help these two very amazing and beautiful human beings!
