We wanted to thank those of you who made the decision to sponsor one of the children in our Centers when you read our last email. Although we only highlighted 4 children in that newsletter we have a total of 19 children that need sponsorship. We are only asking for a commitment of $28 per sponsorship per month but it cost about $336 per child per month to provide the level of care required. As you can see we need about 230 sponsors and since we began asking for sponsors in our last email we have received only 15. We have a long way to go!
The article above from Rhonda Kelly, who was just at our center in Changchun to adopt her daughter, states the important role these centers play in the lives of the children. She was able to visit the foster care family the orphanage had placed her child with prior to coming to our Center, and she is convinced that her child would not have survived if she had stayed with the foster family. She credits the great ladies at the Changchun Center with saving her daughters life.
If you wish to sponsor a child you may click on the child's name below. This will allow you to pay through PayPal or with a credit card if you do not have a PayPal account. When our new website is up and running (soon we hope) you will be able to see monthly updates on your child's progress.
You can provide a single sponsorship for only $28 per month but you can also sponsor all or any portion of a child's total expenses of $336 per month to fully fund a child. Ask some of your friends or your Church group to help fully sponsor a child.
Please note that the children in our Centers are not currently available for adoption. We have no control over if, or when, their files might be sent to the CCAA. However, they do need your support so they be as healthy as possible while they wait.
This little girl was brought to us by the Changchun Orphanage suffering from severe malnutrition and cerebral palsy. The orphanage was unable to care for her. Hannah (in the photo at left) says she has made great improvements in the few weeks since her arrival. QiuHui is no longer fearful when she is held and loves to be cuddled!
ShiYan arrived at our Changchun Center on July 26, 2007 from the Changchun SWI. He has a deformity of his skull and is missing some of the bones. He will require a helmet as he becomes more active.
ShiYong arrived at our Changchun Center from the Changchun SWI on July 15, 2007. He has a neurological problem that interferes with his balance. He has also had a lung infection that has seriously cut into his playtime with his buddies!
LuQi, or "QiQi" as the nannies call her, was one of the first children to arrive at our Changchun Center on July 3, 2006. QiQi is a very busy little girl, and likes to be the leader. She has a family who is hoping to travel to adopt her in the next several months.
WenBo had surgery for his spina bifida in October 2004 by Dr. Lazareff. He has been in our care since that time. This adorable guy will charm anyone he meets! He will continue to need our care as his orphanage is unable to meet his needs.
XinHui came to our Changchun Center on September 9, 2006. She has a congenital heart problem. XinHui is a very smart little girl who will correct the others if they should sing the wrong word in a song! She has a family who should be traveling to adopt her in the coming months.
"Yaner" came to our Siping Center on September 30, 2005. For the first year she was with us, she would not look at anyone or try to play with any of the children. She would only play with her hands and smile shyly to herself. Now she is standing with assistance and trying to say a few words! She loves to cuddle with the nannies, although she still prefers some quiet time each day.
"XiaoTianer" came to our Siping Center on July 7, 2006. He has developmental delays and low muscle tone. He is a sweet little guy who prefers to be with people he knows well...he can be fussy with strangers! He likes to sit in his rocking seat and make it bounce as high as he can.
YuanYue came to our Siping Center from the Siping SWI on January 5, 2007. She was in poor condition with a meningocele that was leaking. She saw Dr. Frank on January 6 and had surgery the next week, She was in the hospital with nanny Song by her side for 22 days. YuanYue is an easy baby who is happy as long as she has a full tummy and a dry diaper. From the looks of those chubby cheeks...she always has a full tummy!
Wang Tao arrived at our Siping Center on January 22 from the Siping SWI. He had a meningocele on his upper neck and was running a fever. Three days later he had surgery. Nanny Lei stayed with him in the hospital for three weeks; he had some complications with his incision. While he was in the hospital, he was the favorite patient of the nurses and doctors there. Who could blame them?
TianTian is a brave little one who has already had four surgeries since she came to our Siping Center on March 13, 2007. She has had surgery for her spina bifida, two shunts, repair of the incision for the second shunt, and we have found that she also has a brain cyst. TianTian will be undergoing surgery very soon to replace her current shunt, which is also not working properly. This sweet baby girl is everyone's favorite!
AiHua arrived at our Siping Center on May 22, 2007. She cannot begin the surgeries to correct her imperforate anus until she is stronger. The nannies are making sure she is given the best formula, and massage her tummy to make her more comfortable. She is gaining weight and growing well.
ZhongHua arrived at our Siping Center from the Siping SWI on July 9, 2007. He was a premature baby who also suffers from asthma. He can be a demanding little guy. When he wakes from a nap the nannies had better have his bottle ready immediately...or the whole Center will hear about it! It's amazing how much noise such a little guy can make!
JiangHan came to our Siping Center from the Qinjiang SWI on August 18, 2007. She had surgery last April to remove a meningocele and insert a shunt for her hydrocephalus. The shunt failed and was replaced on August 21. She also had a bout of pneumonia this summer from which she is still recovering. JiangHan is a sweetheart who has the nannies wrapped around her little finger!
RongNan arrived at our Center in Siping on August 31 from the Changchun SWI. We had been told he had a heart condition, but the tests have not shown any issues with his heart. He has a deformity of one hand, and has recently had several seizures. He is currently in the hospital for tests to determine the cause of the seizures.
RongMeng arrived at our Siping Center on August 31 from the Changchun SWI. Meng is very malnourished and will need to gain some weight before we can consider any surgery for her. We will also need to have a MRI done to determine the extent of her condition.
RongZhou was sent to our Siping Center from the Changchun SWI on August 31, 2007. She was born prematurely and will need additional nutritional supplements and stimulation in order to develop properly. The orphanage was unable to provide this for her.
WeiNan was sent to our Siping Center from the Changchun SWI on August 31. He was in sad shape when he arrived! He was extremely malnourished and would spit up a lot of what he was fed. He cannot have surgery for his cleft lip until he is stronger so it is very important that he receive the best care possible. The nannies are working in shifts so that he can be fed as often as he wants.
One of our favorite children in our Changchun Center, Dang Kang Yang, will soon be joining her forever family when her new mom travels to China to meet her and bring her home. YangYang has quite a following of well-wishers since she had been on other lists before her file was sent to IAAP. So we wanted to let everyone share in their joy as they prepare for their trip and their future together. Please keep this new mom and her new daughter, Dang Kang Yang, in your prayers.
Well, for all of you parents who have children waiting for you at Changchun, let me just say that they are all doing wonderful! They are each one beautiful in their own way and each one has such distinct personalities! Everyone was healthy and happy when my family showed up two weeks ago to meet Jade. My husband, myself, and three of my children had the privilege of visiting the foster care center and meeting the people who saved my daughter's life. When we met Jade, it was very apparent right away that she was severely delayed in all areas. After doing some digging in China to find out more about her past, I have since found out that Jade was severely neglected for her first 18 months of life. Since her arrival in Changchun back in January or early February, Jade has learned what love is. The staff helped her physically heal by giving her great medical care during all of her casting. Her skin on her legs was in great shape when we received her. But, the most important thing the staff did for Jade, was that they loved her and cared for her emotionally. Jade made tremendous gains in her development in just the short time that she lived in Changchun. She still has a very long road ahead of her, but she is blossoming hourly around here! The staff in Changchun is phenomenal. Each and every nanny that I met was very nice and you could see how well the nannies have bonded with the children. There is mutual love and trust between the children and all of the staff that I met that day. The facility was spic and span clean and full of smiles, laughter, activity, and lots of love.
they all were playing with their photo albums from their waiting families who had sent them. Trust me - they all know that they have families coming and they are all excited about it. It was fun to see them look at each other's albums and get very possessive of their "own" family. I'm very confident that if you look anything like your photos that you sent your children, they will definitely recognize you when you meet them! As Jade was leaving that day to come home with us, there was a new little one who arrived with her nanny from an orphanage somewhere that will take Jade's place at the center. It proves how needed the centers are in China and that they really do make a difference in these children's lives. I can see the difference they made in my daughter's life as well as the difference they have made in all of the children's lives who have the great opportunity to live there while they wait for their families. I will forever be thankful for the time Jade spent in Changchun.
