SF Mayor Lee Visits Mom Injured, Paralyzed By Falling Tree Branch
SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX 5) -- A Bay Area woman left paralyzed by a falling tree branch plans to take legal action against the city of San Francisco.
For the past week, Emma Zhou has been demanding answers from city officials.
It's been 10 days since a large branch fell directly on top of Zhou's head while she was watching her kids play at Washington Square Park in North Beach.
Tuesday, Mayor Ed Lee lee visited her in the hospital for the first time since the tragic accident.
The mayor says he is doing everything he can to help the family.
The meeting at Laguna Honda Hospital was private. Reporters were kept out as the mayor visited with victim and her husband. The couple says the mayor offered to do everything he could.
"It's a relief a little bit," said husband Tony Tan. "Hopefully, he can help me."
Zhou's spine was broken and skull cracked. She told me from her hospital bed on Sunday it still hurts a lot.
"I can't move! I just lay down on the bed," she said.
After Tuesday's meeting, Mayor Lee gave his assurances.
"I'm all today about making sure Emma recovers," he said. "She's in pretty good spirits, although I'm sure it's painful for her."
The Mayor says he offered to help the family resettle their two daughters in the San Francisco School District so they can be closer to Emma. He says he'll also call her husband's boss to make sure he can keep taking time off.
He's encouraging people to donate to a GoFundMe account set up by a family member.
Ed Lee / San Francisco Mayor
"I know the commissioners contacted me this morning and said, 'I want to be part of this family's recovery,'" said Mayor Lee.
Tan says it's going to take years of expensive recovery, so he will likely sue.
