If there were any recurring topics in the past two months making headline news, it would probably be updates on the COVID-19 situation, the Ukrainian War, and bouts of armed violence, in that order.
The worst of the violent cases that happened within our domestic borders is probably the Beach Road slashing incident, where a man hacked at his helpless wife with a chopper in broad daylight.
The victim, 42-year-old Ms Han Hongli would have likely died from brutal assault, had it not been for the timely intervention of her co-workers and other eatery staff.
Crowdfunding Campaign for Ms Han Hongli
On Tuesday (10 May), the charity platform Ray of Hope launched a campaign in hopes of raising funds to help her meet her medical bills and daily needs, with the victim’s permission.
They aim to raise at least $105,400 for her cause, seeking to use $68,000 for her medical bills, $21,600 to compensate for her loss in income for 12 months, $6,000 for a full-time caregiver, $8,000 for medical caregiving, and $1,800 for shelter fees.
It should be noted that the crowdfunding target is likely to increase, since part of the fund is being directed towards her medical fees. Her path of recovery, while steady, is still a long and arduous one.
A check-in done by The Straits Times showed that Ms Hong is currently in a sub-acute ward of Tang Tong Sen Hospital, which is located within Ren Ci Community Hospital.
In the campaign story, it writes that Ms Han has undergone four surgeries thus far for her head, eyes and hands, ever since she was admitted into the hospital on 14 April.
Owing to the severity of her wounds, the doctors told her that she would need two more eye surgeries to regain her eyesight.
Ms Han Hongli is also the mother of two children, aged 20 and 17 respectively. She comes from Henan, a province in central China.
She shares that she’s worried about her two children back home, who are currently being cared for by her family.
“I am in great pain every single day since the incident. Thinking about my children keeps me going.” Ms Han told the caseworkers from Ray of Hope.
Crowdfunding done by Restaurant Owners
The restaurant owners and staff along the stretch of Beach Road and beyond proved to be more than just the saviours of the day as they continue to help Ms Han in the ways they can.
Ms Han’s employer, Mr Edmund Tan, the owner of Chong Qing (Origin) Steamboat, mentioned that he bought a basic medical insurance coverage of $15,000 a year for Ms Han.
However, this is far from enough from covering the mounting expense of Ms Han’s medical costs.
More than 50 restaurant owners in Bugis, Chinatown and Geylang have started their own mini fund-raising campaign to chip in, and have raised around $20,000 in total.
The 42-year-old owner of Samurai BBQ, Mr Leonard Shi, hopes that the money will assist her in her recovery and in raising her children.
He stated that he will hand the funds to Ms Han when she gets better.
For the restaurant staff’s efforts in thwarting the violent assault, the police handed out ten Public Spiritedness Awards to them at the Central Police Division.
As for Cheng Guoyuan, the 46-year-old estranged husband and attacker, he was charged with attempted murder on 16 April. He was remanded for psychiatric assessment, and his case is still pending in court.
If he is found guilty of attempted murder causing hurt, he could either face a lifetime of imprisonment and caned, or be jailed up to 20 years and fined or caned, or both.
If you’re interested in donating to Ms Han’s cause, you may do so here.
Featured Images: Ray of Hope & Facebook
