Please Help Baby William Pay His Medical Bills

[Correction] It was unfortunately lost in translation from Mandarin to English that Austin will use only a small portion of the money to find a final resting spot for his wife’s ashes. Thankfully, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Hacienda Heights held a memorial service for Maple. They graciously took up a collection to cover most of the costs for cremation and a memorial service.

Hi, I’m Aubri Lee and while visiting a homeless shelter I met young William and his father Austin Cheng.

Last Thanksgiving, 2-yr old William was in a tragic car accident resulting in the sudden death of his young mother, Maple. After receiving the devastating news of his wife's death, Austin (then working in Taiwan) got a VISA and flew to the Loma Linda University Children's Hospital, anxiously awaiting news about his son. The hospital staff informed Austin that William would have to undergo extensive head surgery to repair the internal bleeding. After praying for a miracle for William, Austin witnessed his son lying in a coma and in critical condition, pierced with a multitude of IV tubes and hundreds of stitches sewn on his tiny head. Fortunately, the surgery was successful and William survived, but he was left with extensive scars on his face along with an incessant cough from the smoke during the accident.

This series of tragic events swept Austin under a wave of depression. He had contemplated suicide, and a nurse suggested that he undergo an examination. So he received behavior health counseling from the same hospital.

Before the accident, Austin wired all of his savings to his wife for taking care of their son. Maple, Austin’s wife, put most of their combined savings into her son's living expenses. There was only $700 left over in her account, which is nowhere near enough to pay for living expenses, let alone rent. After leaving the hospital, Austin moved to a homeless shelter with William. Due to a lack of child support, Austin cannot get a job because he is caring for William. Currently, Austin is unable to return to Taiwan as his son is an American citizen, and he does not have any other relatives who can assist him here. To top it off, the hospital sent Austin a bill covering his son and his mental health treatment which could total $100,000 depending on what Medi-Cal covers. There is no way Austin can pay this debt in his current situation. The money raised from this fundraiser will help cover medical costs, childcare, and housing.

To those of you willing to lend a helping hand, I cannot express my gratitude enough in words. Your acts of kindness mean the world to young William and shine as a beacon of hope for a better future for this young family.