After being hospitalized in New Jersey since the weekend of March 12, 14-year-old Randy Liang returned to his home in Herndon yesterday.
The Langley freshman suffered a ruptured spleen while on a school-sponsored band trip.
Liang’s mother, Vera Zhao, says her son fell ill after running into a wall trying to catch up to his friend at an elevator. At first, a broken rib was suspected but a CAT scan revealed a ruptured spleen.
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“It’s a bad accident,” said Zhao, who rushed to New Jersey with her younger son Derrick as soon as she heard the news.
“The bleeding stopped, so they decided to send him home after being day 10 in hospital,” says Zhao. “He’s young and his blood is healthy, so he can repopulate to self heal. He is a tough kid.”
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Train tickets were purchased for the family from community donations and the Great Falls Fire Station provided an ambulance and two volunteer paramedics to transport the family from Union Station.
Liang’s recovery is expected to take 6 weeks. Then, he will need to avoid any physical activity for at least 6 months.
“His whole lifetime, he will need to be careful, because of the damage that’s been done,” says Zhao.
Zhao has been faced with more than her share of hardships in the last year. In June, her husband Dan passed away, after an 8 year battle with cancer. In December, her father passed away. Then she got laid off from her job as an oracle data base administrator. She still hasn’t paid her February mortgage, overwhelmed with crushing interest rates and escalating medical bills.
“People say bad things normally come in threes,” says Zhao. “But the big hit was getting laid off and losing income, because I’m the only person to bring a check home. I really want to keep my house.”
Relief has come in the form of an outpouring from the community. Donations are being collected, as well as other efforts on the family’s behalf, including the sale of “Team Randy” t-shirts, as well as a benefit concert and art sale on March 31 at Langley High School.
“I don’t know how to express my appreciation,” says Zhao. “It’s like a big wave and it seems like everybody is trying to help and do something for me. I am so grateful for the community’s support.”
Cards can be sent to Randy at home at 1162 Taji Court, Herndon, VA 20170. Contributions can be made to the Liang Family Fund (account #8857) c/o Wachovia Bank 750 Walker Road, Great Falls, VA 22066 or through PayPal using: liangfamilyfund@gmail.com.
