GoFundMe Raises Over $35K In 1 Day For Lynbrook Resident

LYNBROOK, NY — The community came together to raise over $35,000 in less than one day for a Lynbook man looking to help his dying mother return home to Taiwan during her last days.

Irving Chou started a GoFundMe page on Wednesday in order to raise money for his mother's final return to Taiwan. According to Chou, his mother has been receiving treatment and battling cancer for over two years. However, the treatments have not been working and doctors say she is on her "last stretch of life" with less than six months to live.

"My mother is someone who immigrated to the United States with almost nothing in order to provide her children with a better life. She had grown up poor and worked her entire life until the day she received news of her diagnosis. Just as she thought she could finally take a vacation in her life, cancer took the rest of it away," he wrote. "My mother is one who has had such growth in her character and is a parent who truly broke through her traditional outlooks to understand her children towards the end of her life. I was looking forward to finally being able to provide my mom with a fruitful life of healing and joy, but the opportunity has been undeservingly stolen."

Her final wish is to pass away peacefully in her home country, but because of the lack of medical coverage in Taiwan, her stay in hospice and medical bills would be completely out of pocket, which Chou says is "drastically more than [their] financial situation can burden."

As a result, he started the fundraiser to raise $30,000 to help cover the costs of her medical care in Taiwan where she will spend her last days.

"This fundraiser is to give my mother a chance to be in a more comfortable environment for her to pass away," Chou wrote.

By Thursday, the fundraiser well exceeded the goal, raising a total of $35,720.

"We can't thank everybody enough for all the support and we are forever indebted to the kindness of our loved ones and communities," he stated.

To read more or to donate, visit the GoFundMe here.