Chicagoan Organizes Worldwide Coronavirus Donation Supplies Drive, Fundraiser
CHICAGO (CBS) -- She grew up in China, but now lives here.
CBS 2's Marissa Parra has the story of a woman with a personal connection to those suffering from the coronavirus and how she's stepping in to help.
When Chicago resident Yizhi Hu sees images of Wuhan, China at the forefront of coronavirus news, it's personal.
Wuhan is home and the stories she's heard from home are devastating.
"Nurses were screaming saying 'I can't take it anymore' because they were working long hours to try to treat people, at the same time they're also running out of supplies and potentially risking their own lives," Hu said.
She's half a world away from home, but her resolve to help is unmatched. While balancing a full time job in Chicago by day, she's organizing a worldwide fundraiser by night.
So far, she has pulled off sending more than $14,000 worth of medical supplies to Wuhan, China. More than 50,000 masks and 2,000 protective suits.
But make no mistake - getting supplies to a city in quarantine is no easy feat.
She shows her WeChat app and paints a picture of a virtual assembly line.
"It's day and night," said Shanghai volunteer Ke Xu.
It's 2:00 a.m. in Shanghai where Xu is video chatting with Hu, where it's her job to make sure the supplies get in the hands of hospitals caring for victims of the coronavirus.
Victims like her father.
"He has had a fever for the past three days," Xu said. "When I first knew that he was infected, I was like wow, this is really real."
Asked if she's heard any thanks from the hospitals, Hu said no, because they're so overwhelmed. But she's not in it for the thanks.
"Makes me feel like I can do something about it. Even if it's just a little bit," Hu said.
It's a lot of moving parts to pull off a donation of this scale, and while they've got the organization down to a science, they said they appreciate any help they can get.
She is still collecting supplies. Click here if you would like to make a donation to her GoFund me site for supplies to help those suffering from the coronavirus.