Jennifer Lynch and Angela Jing Yang with supplies ready to be sent to China.
Since late January, Saint Mary’s University alumna Angela Jing Yang BComm’05 has been fundraising to help combat the coronavirus pandemic in Wuhan, China.
“Helping others at difficult times has always been important to me,” says Jing Yang, who works as a real estate agen. “My friend Jennifer Lynch and I saw reports of people becoming ill and dying because of the coronavirus. Seeing the sacrifices of medical professionals, we were compelled to contribute.”
Jing Yang and Lynch have raised more than $20,000 worth of medical supplies including N95 masks, goggles and protective clothes for hospitals in Wuhan and Si Chuan. Lynch, a professional accountant who attended the Schulich School of Business at York University, and Jing Yang, purchased all of the supplies upfront to kick start the initiative. Then, they organized an online WeChat group to see if others wanted to help. All of the supplies were delivered to China and used by front line doctors and medical staff.
Now that the virus spread has subsided in China, Jing Yang and Lynch are helping with the crisis in Canada. “We made five donations to China; however, given the spread of the coronavirus in Canada, we are now focusing our efforts here,” explains Jing Yang. “WeChat group members are currently working on coordinating donations to Toronto area hospitals.”
The WeChat group has close to 200 members including Saint Mary’s alumni Dan Ding MFin'15, Yiana Zeng BComm’14, and Qi Wang BComm’06 as well as York University's Schulich School of Business alumni. Some members reside in Canada and others in China, all of which are united by their desire to lend a helping hand at this challenging time.
During the pandemic, one of the issues has been the logistical challenges of delivering supplies to China. From the 12-hour time difference to international flight cancellations and confusing government processes, the group faced adversity but did not give up.
However, the groups’ first delivery was finally a success. It was made by member Johnny Wang who travelled to South China with four suitcases full of supplies. Once he arrived, he forwarded the supplies to Wuhan. Within five days, doctors at Wuhan Xie He Hospital were using them on the front line.
Jing Yang credits the success of the initiative to WeChat group members and others who supported the project including Dr. Chao Yang, the Chief Resident from WuHan Xie He Hospital, a Chinese Real Estate Investment Group, and Da Meng Ontario Inc. These supporters worked very hard to ensure that all of the supplies made it successfully to China.
“I hope this is just one small example of how humanity can come together. It shows that what unites us is stronger than what divides.”