Relatives of Taiwan graduate in US Air Force Academy severely injured in accident

Washington, June 7 (CNA) The relatives of a Taiwanese graduate from the United States Air Force Academy who had planned to attend his graduation ceremony were severely injured in a car accident in Colorado recently, and Taiwan's representative office in the U.S. has pledged to assist with medical expenses.

U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA) alumnus Hsu Hao-ming (徐皓明) was involved in a car crash in Colorado in late May while driving his mother and grandmother, who were in the U.S. to attend his graduation ceremony at the academy, according to the Republic of China Air Force Academy (ROCAFA).

Hsu was selected by ROCAFA to study in the USAFA.

The graduation was scheduled on May 30, but the three of them got into an accident on May 25.

While Hsu has recuperated after receiving treatment in the U.S., his mother and grandmother had to receive surgeries for their injuries and were admitted into intensive care.

Although they have insurance, receiving medical treatment in the U.S. has incurred a substantial bill for the family.

ROCAFA said in a Facebook post that Hsu comes from a modest family whose finances are not sufficient to cover the substantial sum of foreign medical bills and the subsequent care Hsu's relatives would need upon returning to Taiwan.

Speaking with CNA, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the U.S. (TECRO) said its military liaison and Denver office director general Bill Huang (黃世昌) had visited the family in the hospital to provide assistance.

TECRO said it will do all it can to assist Hsu and his family's medical needs as well as help with insurance-related matters.

Aside from TECRO, the ROCAFA also aimed to help Hsu and his family by setting up a donation account.

Moreover, the Taiwanese Association of America Colorado Chapter in tandem with the Colorado Taiwanese Emergency Assistance Association have established a GoFundMe account to help the family.

The GoFundMe statement indicated that Hsu's mother and grandmother are "fighting for their lives," but also added that fund raising efforts on the site had already surpassed a "milestone goal" of US$250,000.

On Friday in Taipei, Taiwan's Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄) assured that the Ministry of National Defense will do its best to assist the family.