Hello, everyone.  For those of you who do not know him, this is my dear brother, Simon Saw.  He is a bright 19-year-old and attends Sam Houston State University.  However, he’s had to withdraw from his 2nd semester because both of his lungs are failing.  He is now in dire need of a Double Lung Transplant. 

His Story
In 2003, when Simon was only 6 years old, he was given Children's Motrin (Ibuprofen) for a simple fever, but this landed him in the hospital for 340 days.  His allergic reaction to Ibuprofen resulted in a condition known as Steven Johnson's Syndrome (SJS) in which the white blood cells become confused and attack the body.  This resulted in 3rd degree burns to his skin and damage to his eyes, ears, tongue, and inner organs.  Since his lungs were irreparably damaged, Simon underwent a double lung transplant. Thanks to skilled doctors and good fortune, the operation was a success and Simon returned home. 

After his ordeal, Simon needed hearing aids and special glass contacts to aid him in school, but that did not stop him from enjoying his life.  He joined many after school programs such as band, choir, theatre and the Chinese Youth Society.  He and his friends even started a club together for gamers at his high school.  He was well-liked by everyone who met him, and he was generous to a fault.  I remember that he would make all of his group members a hand woven charm every year at Chinese Youth Camp and that he would never fail to bring me back something when he went somewhere.

Simon is a very bright kid who wants to build a company with his friends and follow in the footsteps of his idol, RoosterTeeth, doing computer animation.  Simon was invited as a speaker to the 8th International Congress on Cutaneous Adverse Drug Reactions in Taiwan to talk about his experience as an SJS patient.  Upon graduation, he was even invited to apply for West Point Academy, but he decided to attend college at Sam Houston State University instead. 
After a successful first semester of college, Simon came back home for the winter holiday and went in for a routine checkup.  An infection was found in his lungs and he ended up staying for 3 weeks in the hospital, over both the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.  When he got out, we thought the worst was behind us and he was off to school again, but not even a week later, he was rushed back to the hospital by ambulance because his lungs were failing.  Since then, his condition has gotten worse and worse.  Simon is now stabilized in a drug-induced coma. 

It has been 13 years since Simon’s first transplant, a good while for a transplanted organ to last, but now, Simon is in urgent need of another transplant.  My father has currently stopped working so that he can keep watch over Simon at his bedside, making sure that no mistakes are made, checking his status on the monitors and researching Chinese Herbal Medicine. My mother is making an herbal remedy to help strengthen Simon’s body, working alongside the doctors to improve his chances. 

What the money will be used for:
The money you donate will be used in any way that is needed to help Simon get better: medical bills that his insurance won’t cover (the transplant procedure is extremely expensive), living expenses while my parents are at his bedside, hospital parking, and any other financial burdens that come our way while taking care of Simon.

I know that times are tough for everyone, but for any help that you can give, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Our only wish is for Simon to get another chance to pursue his future.  We want him to come back to us, so that we can share another meal, another holiday.  I want to see him annoy our parents again.  I want us to talk through the wee hours of the night about each other's stories like we used to.  I want us to play games together again, to beat Pokémon Sun and Moon and Don't Starve Together.

If you give anything, we are grateful for your generosity. I appreciate you for reading this and knowing my brothers story.  Thank you.