October 2015 Featured Child: Hua

Little Hua is our featured child for the month of October. She came to the Infant Care Home earlier this year in May. When we first met her, this little one only weighed 3 lbs. 9 oz. (1,620g).

Hua needed surgery as soon as possible for the treatment of her hydrocephalus, the abnormal buildup of fluid inside the brain. So, she was soon admitted to the hospital for the surgical placement of a shunt. This shunt helped the extra fluid drain, which then reduced the pressure and buildup. Little Hua’s surgery for her shunt went smoothly, and she came back to the baby home after 2 weeks of post-op care in the hospital.

However, Little Hua still had a lot going on. She needed to grow bigger and stronger to become healthy.  She was having a hard time feeding by herself, so gaining weight was extremely hard for her. She needed feeding tubes to eat, but slowly, over time, we started to see this little girl become bigger and stronger.

Earlier this month, little Hua finally started eating by herself. She is now completely off feeding tubes and now weighs 10 lbs. 65 oz. (4.83kg). She has changed so much in the past few months. She is now strong and healthy, and does not need any further special medical care. We can’t wait for her to find her forever family!  Hua in Mandarin means ‘flower.’  We are so happy that she has truly lived up to her name and blossomed this October!