You are reading

Astoria Teen Launches Fundraiser to Pay for College After Losing Both Parents to COVID-19

Roberto Tobias Jr. (gofundme)

July 15, 2020 By Allie Griffin

An Astoria teen has launched a gofundme campaign to raise money for his college education after losing both his parents to the coronavirus.

Roberto Tobias Jr., a rising senior at Frank McCourt High School in Manhattan, launched the fundraiser two days ago and has already received more than $37,000 of his $50,000 goal.

The 17-year-old lost both his parents to the deadly virus in just two months and as a result has no means of income to fund his education, according to the gofundme page.

Tobias, his older sister and his parents all contracted the virus in March, he wrote in a description for the fundraiser.

His 72-year-old diabetic father, Roberto Tobias Sr., was the first to become severely ill. As his health deteriorated, Tobias’ mother, a nurse, used her vacation days to care of him, he wrote.

His mother, Lodia Tobias, who was 61 and also diabetic, contracted COVID-19 as well. Both parents were eventually hospitalized as their conditions worsened.

Tobias Sr. succumbed to COVID-19 on May 30 and Lodia passed a month later on June 30.

“My parents were amazing and lived exceptional lives,” the younger Tobias wrote.

The couple were both raised in the Philippines in impoverished homes, but attended university there to advance their economic opportunities. They met in their native country and immigrated to the U.S. in 1990 to begin a family together, Tobias Jr. wrote.

Tobias Sr. worked as a bartender at the Windows of the World in the World Trade Center and his wife was a head nurse at Harlem Hospital Center.

The teen — who completed his junior year with a 93 GPA — said his parents’ dedication to education continues to inspire him. He has worked as an assistant at Mt. Sinai Queens and is a member of the student government at Frank McCourt High School.

“My realization of my dreams came from inspiration from my parents, learning my true passions, and the discovery of what I wanted to pursue in my life,” Tobias Jr. wrote.

The high schooler hopes to study pre-med and later attend medical school to pursue a career as a neurosurgeon.

“With the passing of my parents, the security of my future is unclear because I don’t have a source of income to help fund my education,” he wrote. “Hopefully, with this fundraiser, I’ll be able to help fund my first year of college while I work towards funding my own career.”

email the author: news@queenspost.com

One Comment

Click for Comments 
Anonymous

Hi Jr.
My name is Dr. Batra and your parents were my patients for long time.
I can’t believe they are not with us any more, I’m going to miss both of them as they were my best patients and very close and dear to me.
It’s heart breaking not only for me but my all staff as they were with us for long time.
We are going to miss both of you as they are in peace with God, keep praying to get you strength to bear this as no one can understand how difficult it is for you both financially and emotionally.
God bless you and will pray for there soul to be in peace.

9
9
Reply

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

NY Hall of Science debuts CityWorks, its largest exhibition in over a decade

The New York Hall of Science in Corona opened its largest interactive exhibition in more than a decade on Saturday, May 3. The exhibition explores the often invisible inner workings of the built urban environment.

CityWorks is housed in a 6,000 square foot gallery, and the exhibit was created by a team of NYCSI exhibit developers, researchers, and educators over the past five years. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore the intricate systems and engineering that enable cities to function, including how they break, evolve, and endure.

Twenty people indicted in Queens-based $4.6M vehicle theft ring after three-year probe: DA

Twenty individuals were indicted and variously charged in a wide-ranging scheme to steal cars in Queens, throughout New York City and its suburbs, following a three-year investigation by the Queens District Attorney’s Office, the NYPD, and the New York State Police dubbed “Operation Hellcat,” into the criminal enterprise based in Queens.

Some of the vehicles were stolen from owners’ driveways, some with the keys or key fobs inside. The stolen vehicles were often sold through advertisements on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. The defendants are charged in nine separate indictments for a total of 373 counts, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced on Thursday.