In the August 19, 2021 issue of the paper, The Mountain-Ear made its readers aware of the efforts of Democratic activist Alex Lee, who is currently biking across the country to spread awareness of the efforts of those involved in the Hong Kong protests.

On September 20, 2021, Lee was biking to the North Dakotan town of Grand Forks. While biking through Pembina County near St. Thomas, he was suddenly hit from behind by a pickup truck shortly after 8 p.m. According to a Colorado man who hosted him under the website Warmshowers.org, he was “rushed to the local hospital, intubated and sedated for several days.”

The collision left Lee in serious condition, with a broken atrium, a swollen pancreas, and a spleen too damaged to be recovered. On top of that, Lee says his eyesight worsened and various personal items were destroyed, including water bottles, power banks, and his phone. Fortunately, however, Lee was able to recover.

Around October 5, Lee was able to breathe on his own, and around that same time, he was dismissed from ICU. On October 11, he was officially dismissed from rehab and sent to the Sunshine Hospitality Home to continue receiving speech and physical therapy during his recovery.

Lee says he does not remember the accident itself or the majority of the two weeks he spent at ICU. He remembers the doctor telling him about the incident in the hospital, and that no one initially knew whether or not he would even wake up.

Lee feels very grateful to have survived, saying that “God has given me a second life,” and the pickup driver was cited for failure to maintain control, with additional charges currently being considered.

In an official statement, Lee revealed his plans for the next stage of his journey -- he wants to canoe from Minnesota to Louisiana via the Mississippi River before sailing from LA to Hawaii on a sailboat named Free Hong Kong.

For more updates on Lee’s condition and travels, visit his Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/A-lonelytrip for-supporting- Hong-Kongprotest110157231264418/.