23-year-old Pua Wong of Hakalau remains in a coma in the Intensive Care Unit at Queens’ Medical Center on O’ahu following a serious accident on Maunakea on January 29th. Wong was critically injured when she crashed into rocks while sliding on a bodyboard down the snow-covered slopes at the summit of Maunakea. She suffered multiple broken bones and serious head trauma. She was unresponsive and transported to Hilo Medical Center and was medevaced to the Queen’s Medical Center ICU later Friday evening.
Wong has undergone orthopedic surgery to repair her forearm, a fractured tibia and other broken bones. Wong’s boyfriend Kawika Roman has been by her side at the hospital and says, “Doctors are continuing to keep Pua in a medically-induced coma as they monitor intracranial pressure due to swelling in her brain cavity.”
In a statement, the Wong family said, “We are truly overwhelmed by the outpouring of aloha and support for Pua. We send our deepest gratitude to the many civilians that aided Pua, the first responders and the medical professionals at Hilo Medical Center and Queens’ Medical Center on Oʻahu. We are also grateful for those that have supported Pua’s Medical Expense Fund on GoFundMe. The generosity of Pua’s family, friends, classmates, teammates and complete strangers is amazing and we will forever be grateful for your help as we work to help Pua recover from this tragic accident.”
As of 2pm Tuesday afternoon, over 1500 contributors have donated nearly $148,000 of the stated $300,000 goal to the Pua Wong Medical Expense Fund on GoFundMe. Funds are being raised to help the Wong ‘ohana with the significant medical and other expenses that will be incurred to assist with Wong’s recovery.
To contribute to the Pua Wong Medical Expense Fund GoFundMe account go to: https://www.gofundme.com/f/pua-wongs-medical-expense-fund
About Pua Wong:
Pua Wong is the daughter of Wallace and Malia Wong. She is a graduate of Kamehameha Schools Hawaiʻi (’15) and California Baptist University (’19) and is known by family and friends as an outgoing, caring, and active young woman. She was an all-star on the CBU water polo team and graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Biology. She is currently a college and career readiness teacher at Laupahoehoe Community Public Charter School on Hawaiʻi island. She spends her Wednesday nights volunteering for the Hope Services Hawaiʻi Street Medicine program, where she helps to provide basic medical services to homeless and families. Pua does all this while studying for the MCAT with hopes of attending medical school so she can continue her passion for serving her community through medicine.
Pua also has a deep love for the ocean and is a regular at Honoliʻi beach, her home surf break. When she’s not working, volunteering, or surfing, she’s exploring the island and spending time with her loved ones. Anyone who meets Pua would agree that she has an undeniably warm and beautiful smile and an infectious aloha spirit. She’s simply one of the most lively people you could ever meet and this accident has truly shocked her family and friends.
