TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Donations to help the injured mother and grandmother of a United States Air Force Academy graduate reached NT$10.6 million (US$327,159), reports said Saturday (June 8).
The two women traveled from Taiwan to Colorado Springs for Hsu Hao-ming’s (徐皓明) graduation but were caught up in a severe traffic accident on May 25. They needed emergency surgeries and intensive medical care, leading to fears they would be unable to pay their U.S. medical bills.
Taiwan’s representative office in Denver sent staff to assist the family, while a GoFundMe donation drive was started, per CNA. The original target was US$250,000, but by Saturday afternoon Taiwan time, the campaign had collected more than US$327,000 from 2,300 donors.
An evaluation of the women’s medical conditions will determine how long they need to stay at the Colorado hospital, and how soon they can be flown to Taiwan. The money will be turned over to Hsu, who will pay for medical and transportation fees while in the U.S. and later in Taiwan.