A friend in need, a friend indeed

The mattress Yong Xu slept on was as much of a home as he'd had in weeks. More than just a bed, the mattress was a small sign of the new friendships and new identity he'd forged after facing years of growing hardships.

A few weeks after arriving to the university from rural China on a government scholarship last fall, Xu was evicted from an apartment he could not afford. He sought shelter in a local church, but the church soon kicked him out as well.

Finally, Jay LiBou, a coworker at Cornerstone Grill & Loft, offered him clothing and a place to stay. It wasn't much - just a mattress in the corner of his cramped room. With the new home, he also received the appropriate nickname "Matt," and the two formed a bond that would prove instrumental for Xu to overcome the additional challenges awaiting him.

"Matt is one of the sweetest, kindest, smartest, most sincere, good-hearted people I have ever met," said LiBou, a junior finance and philosophy major. "I could not let him live on the street, so I took him under my wing."

But Xu's situation soon became worse than sleeping on a lumpy mattress. Two weeks ago, Xu came to learn that his sister was diagnosed with fatal leukemia.

When Xu told LiBou the devastating news of his sister, LiBou was determined to help his friend.

"I used to be a Resident Assistant last year, and through that I got to see a lot of charity events," LiBou said. "I realized this was an opportunity to change someone's life."

Other coworkers also learned of Xu's situation and organized a fundraiser on Friday night to raise the $600 Xu needed to afford a ticket back to China. For seven dollars each, more than 200 students were provided unlimited beer from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. All proceeds went toward sending Xu home.

Sorority Delta Phi Epsilon also contributed to the fundraiser by selling mozzarella sticks outside of Cornerstone that night.

"Our hearts go out to Matt - we'll do anything to help him out," said junior Amanda McKinlay, a sorority member who only knew about Xu's situation from when LiBou contacted the sorority. "It must be so difficult to be in a different country than your family."

Cornerstone waitress senior Monica Pearce sat next to the bouncer at the door and gave wristbands.

"It's really upsetting. Everyone here loves Matt. We sort of adopted him into the Cornerstone family," Pearce said.

A difficult journey

Xu came to the university on a Chinese government scholarship as an engineering student studying quantum physics. He hoped in a few years to get a high-paying engineering job in the U.S. and pay to send his girlfriend, Sunny, whom he's been dating for seven years, and her family here, LiBou said.

His plans were dealt a blow, first by his housing situation and then by a phone call from his parents on March 1. They told him that his 18-year-old sister had been diagnosed with leukemia. His sister, who lives in China with his family, was in the later stages of her illness because the family could not afford to bring her to a doctor any earlier, LiBou said.

Xu's sister had just celebrated her 18th birthday and was hoping to attend one of the Chinese universities next year. But she began coughing blood and her parents took her to the nearest city - six hours away - to see a doctor.

Xu called home so often that his parents canceled his calling card in an effort to assuage his suffering and keep him focused on his studies, LiBou said. But the isolation affected him, and Xu became so depressed that he would barely talk to his roommates. He declined to be interviewed.

In response, LiBou came up with the idea for a fundraiser, not to raise money for his sister's treatment, but to send Xu back to China. Xu's friends wish for him to be at his sister's bedside during her remaining days of life, and additional money earned at the fundraiser would help her treatment.

At the end of the night

The details of Xu's life before he arrived to College Park are unclear. All that is known has come from his roommate.

"Although he didn't speak much English, we were able to communicate to each other about our cultures," said LiBou, who instantly developed a friendly relationship with Xu.

When word spread of the mission to send him home, many around the restaurant wanted to pitch in.

"He's very dedicated, always early and wants to work all the time," said Mark Srour, the owner of Cornerstone. "I want to do this to help Xu out, his family and his sister. He's a good guy."

With friends and coworkers surrounding him at Friday night's fundraiser, Xu stood at the entrance of the loft with his head hung low and a bucket for extra donations. When asked about all the support he received from his friends, Xu revealed in a soft whisper, "I very grateful."

At the end of the night, the fundraiser had exceeded its goals and word of Xu's story had spread throughout the bar. The event raised more than $2,000 and Xu collected almost $1,000 in his donation jar.

LiBou expects $500 more from private donations and the sorority's proceeds, and Xu may receive an additional $5,000 from the Chinese Student Union if he can provide official documentation of his sister's leukemia.

"In two-and-a-half years of working at Cornerstone, I've seen a lot of different charity events and ... I've never seen people come out like this," LiBou said. "Matt would like to stay in China and come back here for graduate school. He plans to marry his girlfriend, and I plan to go to the wedding."

Contact reporter Allie Walker at newsdesk@dbk.umd.edu.