The family of Grace Chan, a Korean American woman living in River Edge, N.J., gathered in anguish to share their story of disbelief and injustice. Grace, a devoted mother of two, was taken into custody by prosecutors with the assurance of a swift return. However, over a year has passed, leaving her behind bars and her children without their mother.
The decision seems inconceivable and unfair for a mother who knew of her child’s health challenges but chose to give birth out of love, only to find herself ensnared in the tragic demise of her infant son, Elliot.
Young-sun Yoo, Grace Chan’s mother, expressed the family’s distress, describing the whole ordeal as a mental panic. During a visit to the New Jersey office of the Korea Daily on August 2, Grace’s father, Jae-woo Yoo, and mother, Young-sun Yoo, shed light on what they believe to be an extremely unjust prosecution and imprisonment, citing several compelling circumstances.
Grace’s family revealed that her son had severe vitamin D deficiency, rickets, evidence of a seizure, blood clots, intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), and required surgery for multiple hernias. They emphasized that the child was born with low weight and remained in a weak physical condition after birth. Despite several attempts at first aid, the newborn tragically stopped breathing, and no direct evidence of death could be found.
Mrs. Yoo stressed that her daughter had come to the United States as a child, grew up in a peaceful and happy family, studied education at the State University of New York, and lived a faithful life as an educator and a loving mother to her children.
“Grace worked diligently as a civil servant for the New York City Department of Buildings, married a family-oriented Chinese husband, and cherished her children so much that she prepared and delivered breast milk for her surviving twin son even after being imprisoned,” said Mrs. Yoo, appealing for the prompt return of the falsely accused Korean American mother to her family.
Initially, Grace’s family expected the truth to be revealed quickly, leading to her release. However, as her imprisonment and trial prolonged, the Korean American community took action, forming a committee to seek her release. This committee, led by her cousin Daehyun Yoo, former president of the New York Association of Korean American Business, and Sam Chung, the first president of the New Jersey Korean American Realtors Association, seeks to rally support and secure justice for Grace.
Daehyun Yoo expressed concern that such a situation might not have arisen if Grace were white and called upon the broader community to join the movement to protect the rights and interests of the Korean minority.
To support Grace and her family, a Change.org petition has been launched, garnering over 2,870 signatures in less than a week. Leaders from more than 20 major organizations in the New York and New Jersey Korean American community have lent their support to the cause.
For more information about the Life Saving Committee and to sign the petition, please call 201-835-7230.
BY JONGWON PARK [park.jongwon@koreadailyny.com]
