HOUSTON–Saddened and stunned by the death of a young co-worker, colleagues at First Service Credit Union, along with other friends of Wendy Kwan, have created a non-profit foundation in her memory.
Kwan, the manager of cash operations at FSCU, died at the age of 34 in early 2014 from a brain aneurism. The nonprofit, You First Foundation, was established to generate research funds in support of brain injury victims’ families.
In a statement, the credit union called Kwan a “bright, vivacious and talented woman” who had “worked her way up from financial services representative and branch manager positions. At the time of her death, Kwan, along with her husband, Ken Lee, and daughter, Madeline, was expecting her second child.
The credit union reported that just a few days before her death Kwan had been awakened by a severe headache, which turned out to be caused by a brain aneurism. Rushed to the hospital, her condition worsened quickly and doctors were only able to save her unborn daughter, Olivia, through emergency surgery, the credit union said.
“Wendy's unexpected death devastated her friends and co-workers, who have channeled their grief toward a positive cause in her memory,” said First Service Credit Union. “They formed the You First Foundation to accomplish several objectives. The first is to generate research funds for neurointensive care and neurorecovery centers to advance their research on brain injuries and recovery solutions. The foundation also supports the families of brain injury victims through scholarships and supports the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, as well as other non-profit charities.”
The first major, public fundraising effort will be a golf tournament in Houston on Sept. 28.
"Last year, we lost a dear friend and employee in Wendy Kwan," said David Bleazard, chairman of the You First Foundation and president of First Service Credit Union. "It was a tragic loss, and the foundation is our effort to bring something positive out of this. "We are committed to ensuring that Wendy is not forgotten and that her legacy lives on."