Help Mai's Recovery

On August 1, 2019,  my mother, Mai, became a victim of a heinous crime done to her by her next door neighbor. Her neighbor was renting the house next door and lived there for a year without incident. They were cordial with each other and she didn't have reason to think he would be capable of such an unprovoked, gruesome attack. He came over to her house that day in broad daylight and stated that he had an emergency and needed help. My mom has always been one to help others in need, so she went to the end of his driveway to see what was wrong. While she did not go inside, he pulled her inside and physically assaulted her. This resulted in multiple facial/throat injuries and she was found unresponsive. The Kent PD released a brief statement here . 

Once at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, it would take nearly 3 weeks for her to regain any bit of vision. It took even longer for her to be able to speak her first words since the attack. Due to the strangulation, her airway was comprised and an emergency tracheotomy was performed, hindering her ability to eat, swallow, or talk. Without sight or the ability to speak, she could only communicate through writing. She wrote about her confusion is to why this happened, her fears about going back home, and her worry about leaving me behind with no mother. 

My mother has been a resident of Kent, WA for nearly 25 years. After coming to the United States with my father, a POW during the Vietnam war, they decided to make Washington state their home. My mom was a nail technician who worked long, grueling hours each day. After years of saving, they purchased their first home together when I was 5. We would go on to make so many memories in this house over the next 20 years, even after my dad passed away. My mom became an interpreter for the Kent School District and helped shape the lives of so many Vietnamese families who had just come to the United States, seeking a better life for their children. She was rewarded for these efforts at a ceremony in my old high school, a proud moment I'd always remember. Last year in 2018, she received her AA degree after studying early childhood development. She received her diploma and beamed from the auditorium, waving at her entire family in the stands. 

To think about how hard my mom has worked is inspiring. But then to think of how some 30-year old guy decided he was going to try and take her life - makes me feel absolutely sick to my stomach. She did not deserve any of the pain, fear, or anxiety that this guy has injected her life. From here, her team of doctors have worked to fix all the damage inflicted on her and her team of family and close friends have worked to rebuild her spirit. 

She underwent a facial reconstructive surgery on Friday. While it went smoothly, she may need follow-up surgeries in the future to make sure everything stays in place, including a new bone in her nose that was grafted from her rib. She will also need to miss work for the foreseeable future, as her vision is not 100%, her face is still immensely swollen, and she is still being fed via a stomach tube.

My family has greatly appreciated everyone's support of this past month. We can only describe this as an ongoing nightmare, and each person who has reached out to us helps shine the light a little brighter. My mom would appreciate cards encouraging her healing but for those asking what else they can do, we have set up this fund. Any donation will go directly towards medical costs not covered by insurance and to ensure her comfort and healing until she is deemed able to go back to work. 

Thank you all so much for reading.