Today, around 10 Stanford students from CLIPSS and NIKEMAN visited Yichao and family at the hospital, and talked to them about their specific needs.  Some preliminary arrangements were made. Please feel free to add to the list:

1. In the following days, set up a schedule for people to visit and help the family with their needs, offer consolation, translate and help with communication. Monday to Friday Stanford students will be arranged to visit. On weekends, volunteers near by can come help and take the family grocery shopping or run errands. Schedule will be centrally arranged to avoid overcrowding or many groups visiting and creating more burden to the families. Please sign up by sending your email and phone number.  http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=tgmXbEATSxmQeu0H73v0Dqg&hl=en 

2. This Saturday and Sunday is Chinese New Year's eve and New Year's day.  I will arrange the schedule for Saturday and Nikeman will arrange the schedule for Sunday.  Please sign up for these two days separately so we can accompany Wang's family for New Years.

3. Chinese-language media, radio and television stations have already contacted.  Some of them have already provided coverage, with ktsf26 scheduled to interview tomorrow. English media is being contacted by the Stanford CLIPSS. 

4. In the next two days I will take them to open bank accounts. Our current thinking is for them to open a joint account, and then disburse the funds. Contribution will be mainly used for living expenses, and have them do some bookkeeping. 

5. Yichao's department at Stanford might help resolve the accommodation issue. If not, we want them to live in Yichao's rented studio first, and move to a motel nearby to look for other housing upon termination of his lease.  The challenging part is not knowing how long the stay will be, and month by month arrangements are hard to find. The best option might be finding some in-law units or one bedroom close to school or in mountain view san antonio shopping center area, where more students can offer them a ride to Stanford

6. They are now using a prepaid cell phone, and a international roaming cell phone. We want to see if anyone can add an additional line to their family plan? Plans with no fixed contract would be best.  We can pay with donated money. 

7. Wang's wife's J2 visa expires in April, ppppmm asking the question on the visa extension. 

8. Do Wang family members need health insurance? Which one to buy? Are they eligible for mediCAL? 

9. Yichao's father would like to write something everyday.  I will try to get him a blog.

That's all for now.  Here are some snapshots:

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【February 11, 2010 Thursday】 by Dan 
Quick update at Noon.  Still not awake. Spoke with Yichao's father and he will seek a second opinion from other doctors, because doctors here think Yichao will stay in a coma.  His father plans to bring Yichao back to China when he can be transported, and care for him at home.  The living expenses for the next few months, transportation expense back to China, expenses to seek other medical opinions, and expense to care for Yichao at home are all unknown.  Yichao's parents only receive 4,000 RMB per month in pension, and live in a 45 square meter home with bad insulation/heating.  They have not opened a bank account yet.  There is one credit card/bank card from Yichao that couldn't be activated due to lack of pin number.  Could B1, B2 visa open bank accounts here?  Yichao's wife's J2 visa will expire in April.  Their temporary housing is good till next Tuesday, then they need to find other accommodation close to the hospital.  We will then need help with moving, furniture and grocer shopping help.  Luggage is still not delivered.

At 4pm, I will go with people from student association to discuss arrangements.  If anyone has time and energy to help please contact me at yichaojiayou@gmail.com. I don't have a lot of ideas so I would really appreciate more people chipping in.  I am very touched when I see poor students donating $200 and offer rides and translation.  There are many enthusiastic and warm-hearted people!  I want to thank you on behalf of Wang's family!