I'm Christopher Chambers. Until June 14th, 2023, I would have honestly said I was the luckiest man alive.
I met Beidi while studying in China, where she was a student and volunteer language tutor at Tsing Hua University. Her intelligence and poise captured me, and we soon started dating. Our first trip together took us to Inner Mongolia, marking the beginning of a series of unforgettable adventures.
Despite my school year ending, (and my scholarship money) I stayed in Beijing, working as a freelance English teacher just to be close to her. A few short years later we married and moved to the United States, full of dreams and aspirations. We launched our careers, had two beautiful children, and started building our American Dream.
On that day, June 14th, 2023, Beidi left with our eldest, Elyse, for a doctor’s appointment. I stayed home to study with our younger son Ethan. It was a day, I thought, like any other.
I didn’t even say goodbye.
A subsequent call from the doctor complaining that they had never arrived filled me with dread.
Neither their phones nor their Tesla’s location could be traced. Minds racing, Ethan and I drove to the doctor’s office in an attempt to retrace their path. En route, we saw dark smoke billowing into the sky ahead of us. We ran towards it through the throng of emergency responders, only to find a burning, twisted white Tesla Model Y.
Just like ours.
The police restrained me, saying they didn’t know who was in the car. Despite their frustrating attempts to prevent me from approaching the horrifying scene, I gave them our car’s VIN.
The confirmation was as I feared: it was our car. My wife and daughter had been inside when it was engulfed in flames.
I was left with unbearable questions - were my girls conscious, in the end? Did they suffer?
Overwhelmed, I fell to my knees.
I’d often told Beidi that I wasn't afraid of death, that I’d go first and be waiting for her when her time came. I wished it had been me instead, burning in that car, if only my willing sacrifice would bring my girls back.
Their sudden absence has left a deep scar on our family - a grieving husband and father, a bewildered son, and Beidi’s mother, mourning the loss of her only daughter - not to mention all the extended family and friends whose lives were touched by their lives and love.
I humbly ask you now to help our family find a beautiful, peaceful place for Beidi and Elyse to rest together, side by side - somewhere close where friends and family can visit them to honor and remember two beautiful lives cut short, gone in the blink of an eye.
Please help us ensure their memory remains with as much or as little as you can, with happiness in your hearts. Every act of giving counts, and your generosity and compassion will not be forgotten.
