A Lexington, Kentucky chef’s life was turned upside down when, while carrying a pot of boiling peanut sauce, he slipped and fell. He spilled the sauce all over himself, causing second degree burns over half of his body.

Mamadou “Sav” Savané, 52, chef and owner of Sav’s Grill & West African Cuisine, spoke with TODAY.com about his ordeal.

“It was awful. But I am here right now talking to you, and I am lucky,” he told TODAY on Thursday.

In just 36 hours, the chef’s community raised $50,000 to help pay for his medical bills and keep his restaurant running.

“It was a natural response. I thought, ‘Heck, I can do an online fundraiser,’” said Chuck Creacy, a publisher who also raises money for non-profits. Creacy quickly set up a fund after learning of Savané’s injuries.

“Sav’s just the nicest fella in the whole world. You want to help him because he works really hard—he works seven days a week—he has this huge, contagious smile, his food is wonderful and everyone loves him,” Creacy said. “And we have an amazing community—very generous people.”

Savané’s son, Bangaly, recently wrote down the recipes that his father learned while growing up in West Africa.

“We just had a feeling,” Bangaly said when discussing why he decided to transcribe his father’s recipes. “When my dad is the only one who knows how to make these sauces, and this restaurant is my family’s livelihood… Had this happened before, we could not afford that. We have bills to pay and employees who depend on us.”

One of the bright sides of this tragedy has been Bangaly stepping up to fill his father’s shoes.

“By the time I am well, the restaurant would have been bankrupt,” Savané said. “I’m so proud of him. In the last two weeks, he grew up very, very, very fast.”