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gifts
received this week...
$11,943.32
from private donors
$32,000.00
from February Russia adoption fees
$257,692.47
received year-to-date
"Give
Me New Life": Min Qing Guo's Story
What
a difference the gift of health makes in the life of a child! One year
ago, Min Qing Guo was on the verge of death, fighting a losing battle
against a body that refused to process any food or water that he took
in. Today, after receiving surgery through our "Give Me New
Life" program, Guo is a happy and healthy 1-year-old, about to
travel to the United States to join his forever family. The staff in our
China Foundation office feel privileged to have witnessed this
incredible transformation. The story is described in full below...
(click here to see Min Qing
Guo's dramatic before-and-after surgery photos...)
Min
Qing Guo was discarded as a 2-month-old in February, 2003, at the gates
of the town of Xinyang in Henan province, China. He was
clearly gravely ill by his appearance and many passers-by politely
looked the other way, not wanting to get involved in the tragic
situation. However, an elderly couple took pity on Qing Guo and
carried him to the local orphanage. From there, the little guy was
taken immediately to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with a bile
duct cyst. The cost of the surgery was more than the orphanage could
handle, however, so their director turned to CHI Foundation for help.
Jian
Ying, CHIF's Director in Beijing, received the orphanage's phone call on
February 20, 2003. Recognizing the urgency of the situation, she
immediately called Dr. Li Long, chief surgeon of the department of
pediatric surgery at First Affiliate Hospital of Peking University, and
he agreed to see Qing Guo the very next day. A staff member from the
orphanage made the overnight trip by train to Beijing with Qing Guo. She
reports being so frightened for his health that she stayed awake through
the entire trip, checking often to make sure that he was still
breathing.
Qing
Guo's surgery took place immediately after his arrival in Beijing and by
March 17th, he was finally strong enough to leave the hospital. The
Foundation staff arranged for interim care at Lang Fang Children's
Village, where Qing Guo would be able to stay during the recovery
process. The staff member who checked him in at Lang Fang that day joked
that they were experts at making children fat quickly!
His
words proved true three months later, when the Foundation staff returned
to check on Qing Guo and barely recognized the formerly emaciated,
listless little boy. They were astonished by how healthy and happy he
had become; more than a few tears of joy were shed during the
reunion. Qing Guo then returned to his orphanage in Xinyang.
Earlier
this month - one full year after surgery - Qing Guo was referred for
adoption and so traveled one more time to Beijing for a final check-up
before leaving for the United States. He was found to be in excellent
health and the Foundation staff were again amazed at how far this little
guy had come since the year before. Qing Guo has a lifetime of blessings
stretching out before him, now, as he goes home to his forever family.
What a difference the gift of health makes in the life of a child!
Guatemala
News: AMOR Update
Alicia
Schnell, CHI Latin America Director, writes...
"To
date, the CHI Foundation has taken in $9,850.00 in contributions toward
running the orphanage and caring for the AMOR kids...There is still a
SIGNIFICANT and URGENT need for funds. So far, over $20,000 has been
sent by the foundation to Guatemala to keep things running.
22 kids are currently at the AMOR orphanage. The others have
either been moved to Sharon's orphanage in Antigua, the adopting
families have arranged for private foster care, or the adoptive families
are in Guatemala caring for the children. No children are being
moved without the prior consent of their adoptive families.
One family completed their adoption and brought their precious daughter
home during the second week of March. This was a very exciting
victory. We are looking forward to several more in the upcoming
weeks!!!
Families who have been in Guatemala visiting both the AMOR orphanage and
the Casa Hogar Fe y Amor (in Antigua) have reported that the kids are
doing well and are all receiving good care."
Advisory
Committee Established
The
Foundation staff in Beijing have established an advisory committee for
"Give Me New Life". More than 20 experts from well-known
hospitals in both Beijing and Shanghai have already agreed to serve on
this volunteer team. Among them are the deans of both Beijing Children's
Hospital and Beijing Fuwai Hospital and the former vice-dean of Badachu
Plastic Hospital. The committee's main responsibilities will include
providing medical evaluation and cost consultation for "Give Me New
Life" cases, monitoring treatment during the orphans' hospital
stays, and providing training on post-surgery care for orphanage staff.
This
Week's Happenings
In
the past five days, the Foundation gave...
*...$315
to Vietnam for food and treats for the children of Kien Giang
orphanage.
*...$26,800 to
an international video production company that will produce a
documentary on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, in both Russian and English.
(more on this later...)
*...$500
to Worldways Children's Museum to establish a Russian Cultural
School to help keep the culture of Russian adoptees' birth country
alive.
*...$18,397
to China for the following projects: "Give Me New Life";
foster care programs in JiuJiang (JiangXi) and Urumqi (XinJiang); aid
for the children at Zhuzhou SWI in Hunan; tuition for a teenage
orphan studying at a music conservatory.
*...$5,000
to AMOR in Guatemala for the continued care and maintenance of the
children there.
*...$500
to India for the support of rural social workers.
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