Wilson Yeung

Help Wilson Keep Fighting

Dear friends,

In November 2024, our community got heartbreaking news. Wilson Yeung, a beloved instructor at Guerrilla Jiu-Jitsu in Pleasanton, suffered a serious spinal cord injury while training with a student after class. Both were experienced grapplers, and no one was at fault. Doctors told the family his chance of walking again was very small.

If you know Wilson, you know he’s a fighter. He served the City of San Jose as a police officer for 25 years, including:

• FBI High Tech Task Force (deep undercover)

• Special Investigations Unit, Vice

• Systems Development

After he retired, he kept serving his community by teaching Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to adults and kids. He’s a devoted father to three sons and a loyal friend. He’s always learning something new, whether that’s fixing something around the house or teaching himself a song on the guitar.

The first year

The injury, at the C4/C5 level, left Wilson a quadriplegic. He had two surgeries and spent six months in five different facilities before he was finally able to come home. Friends and family rallied right away, and that first fundraiser helped cover early medical costs and the critical changes his home needed so he could get there.

Where he is today

For the past year, Wilson has trained every week at SCI-Fit in Dublin, a therapy center for people with spinal cord injuries.

• His Physical Therapists & Personal Trainers work hands-on with him to sit up with assistance, push and pull, and build the core strength he needs to someday roll over on his own.

• He trains with specialized equipment, including the ARC-EX device and an FES bike, and works on assisted standing.

• He has regained limited use of his arms and drives his own power wheelchair.

Progress is slow. Some weeks it’s hard to see. But it’s real, and Wilson keeps showing up and doing the work. SCI-Fit is also his emotional lifeline, a place where people believe in him.

What’s ahead

Wilson’s needs are changing. Next summer, his youngest son leaves for college, and the family can no longer provide the 24-hour care he needs at home. He will need to move into a residential care facility.

• Full-time care for his level of injury costs $8,500 to $10,000 a month.

• Keeping him at SCI-Fit costs about $3,500 a month.

• His pension covers part of this, but not all of it. Without help, SCI-Fit is the first thing he would have to give up.

Our initial goal is $250,000 so Wilson can move into quality care and keep the therapy that keeps him moving forward.

Why Help Hope Live

We’re raising funds through Help Hope Live, a nonprofit that has supported people with catastrophic injuries for decades. Your gift is tax-deductible, and the funds can be used only for Wilson’s medical and care-related expenses.

How you can help

• Give online: HelpHopeLive.org_WilsonYeung

• Give by check: Make it payable to Help Hope Live, write “in honor of Wilson Yeung” in the memo line, and mail it to Help Hope Live, 2 Radnor Corporate Center, Suite 100, 100 Matsonford Road, Radnor, PA 19087.

• Share this fundraiser with anyone who knows Wilson.

• Visit him if you’re local. He loves company and short trips around town.

Wilson spent his life showing up for others: on the streets of San Jose, on the mat, and at home. Now it’s our turn to show up for him.

With love and gratitude,

Denise & Friends of Wilson