Two Brooklyn parents were met with uncertainty when their three-month-old daughter Faye was diagnosed with an inoperable optic-chiasm tumor in her brain.
Parents Justin and Zoey Fung have been faced with difficulties accessing health care and academic assistance for their other two children. The Fung family came to State Sen. Iwen Chu for assistance.
Faye’s diagnosis and conditions are considered a grey area for familial support given her young age and parent’s lack of employment, the senator's office stated.
Faye’s condition requires medication every few hours and constant doctor appointments. As they provide 24-hour care for their daughter, it is impossible for both parents to work.
The young parents are facing obstacles in City Public Schools and private institutions in accessing academic opportunities for their other two children, Quinn, 4, and Quentin, 2.
Many assistance programs such as school vouchers and other Administration of Children's Services programs require both parents to be working full time. Home health aides and in-home nursing services lack guidelines for patients under 1 year old.
State Sen. Chu advocated for the Fung family to New York City Human Resources Administration and successfully obtained school vouchers for both children.
“Learning about what baby Faye and her family has gone through breaks my heart. It is shameful they were denied support for a home health aide and day care options. Our bureaucratic system failed to see the humanity of their experience and see a family in need. I’m proud my office was able to work with government partners and AABANY to ease the burdens of this young family” said State Sen. Chu.
State Sen. Chu connected the young parents to Asian American Bar Association of New York, who found pro bono lawyers at Anderson & Associates Law, P.C. to take on the case.
Anderson & Associates Law, P.C. was able to open a trust for the family to raise the funds necessary for the costs of treatment. Justin and Zoey face an uphill battle with medical costs and the expenses of raising a young family. Faye continues to undergo treatment with surgery in the near future.
“After two failed chemotherapy attempts and many surgeries, Faye still smiles. Still, she is resilient. She is the reason why we fight this hard for the quality of life she needs and deserves” said Justin Faye.
“I thank Senator Chu, AABANY, and Faye’s doctors at NYU Langone for their help to our family."
To learn more about Faye’s journey, please visit www.fayefung.com
