Made for Love

     

We believe that all children are born to love and connect, and that all children can learn and develop – this includes children with medical or developmental special needs, especially those who have been impacted by trauma.  While most children we work with do have special needs, we recognize that they are equally affected by the trauma of birth family separation, serious illness, hospitalizations, institutionalization and more.  In addition to their other special needs, the long-term effects of trauma on these children’s brain development, behavior and relationships cannot be underestimated.  

    We are often faced with questions from our own staff, foster parents, teachers and others who are confused why the children they are working with don’t respond to love, affection, discipline, and traditional educational methods the way “normal” children in families would.  We realized that there was a great need to address these questions, so last year we launched Made for Love.    Our goal is to share an awareness of the abilities of children with special needs, an understanding of the impact of early trauma, recognition of the signs and behaviors of trauma, and to teach others to respond with understanding, compassion, and connectedness. 

Through Made for Love, we seek to provide support, evidence-based knowledge and practical skills to:

• People who work with children in orphanages, such as staff members, caregivers, group home parents, and special needs teachers
• Domestic adoptive families  
• Families choosing to raise their own children with special needs

    We began by providing training in our own orphan care projects.  Word soon got out that we had developed training materials and were providing seminars to early learning teachers and orphanage caregivers, and we have been invited to provide these to other orphanages as well.  

    One orphanage we are working with has a model that we are particularly excited about (and hope to expand to other orphanages) that welcomes special needs children from the local community to participate in classes at the orphanage early learning center.  

    This is an incredibly valuable service to offer to those families, as specialized learning centers for special needs children are not widely available in China.  Because services like these are severely lacking, this has long reinforced the belief that families themselves are unable to care for their own special needs children.  We hope that providing this kind of support can begin to change attitudes in society and even reduce the number of children entering orphanages in the long term.

    We are also seeing an increase in domestic adoptions in China (including the children in our own orphan care projects), but there are still very few resources available to these adoptive parents.  Many of them do not have any preparation before the adoption, have unrealistic expectations, and nowhere to turn when they have questions about how best to deal with the inevitable difficulties of the first days and weeks at home with their child. 

     The Made for Love project is working to provide information and support for these adoptive families, and we hope that we can make our videos and materials widely available so that adoptive families all over China will be able to benefit from them.

    We will be sharing more about about our Made for Love project in the days and weeks ahead, so stay tuned!  We thank you for your support and look forward to helping even more families and children in the years to come!

LaBa Festival

 

Have you heard of LaBa Festival?  Perhaps not, as it isn't as well known Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) which follows closely.  LaBa Festival is a traditional Chinese holiday that is celebrated on the 8th day of the 12th lunar month of the year.  This holiday is a time for celebrating the year's harvest, honoring ancestors and worshipping gods.  One of the most important parts of the celebration is cooking LaBa porridge, which is a mixture of grains, beans and dried fruit.  This porridge is said to invoke peace and good fortune.

We celebrated Laba Festival this week.  Our little ones were very happy to learn more about this porridge and to make their own porridge handicrafts.  They started by selecting a color and pattern for the tablecloth:

Choosing a design for the bowl and decorating it well is also important!

Glue the tablecloth, bowl, spoon and porridge in place:

Add some grains, beans and dried fruit:

A few more finishing touches:

And what do we have?  A Laba Festival masterpiece!

By now, everyone has worked up an appetite.  So of course, it was time to sample some real LaBa porridge!

It was delicious!

Happy LaBa Festival!

Miracles in Motion

Just Arrived

This December, we would like to share a little about a baby girl named M, who was born prematurely with a cleft lip and palate.

With Nanny

M was born at about 31 weeks gestation and weighed a little over 3 lbs (1450 g) when she came to the orphanage. She spent a few weeks in the NICU while her lungs matured, and then she discharged back to our home. Little M is an excellent eater who adapted easily to the special cleft feeding bottle and began to gain weight quickly! Last month she was finally big and strong enough for her cleft lip repair surgery.

Before Surgery

Although she still exhibits some developmental delays, M is catching up quickly. Even as she recovers from her recent surgery, her nanny is working with her every day to help her develop the head control and the strength she will need to roll over and begin to sit. She loves to be held and cuddled and rewards everyone around her with frequent smiles. Her orphanage has begun to consider a domestic adoption placement for her, so we are hopeful that it will not be long until she has a family of her own! Thank you for being part of M's story.

After Surgery

A Heartwarming Christmas Celebration

The spirit of Christmas arrived early at our Beijing Medical Home, bringing joy and smiles to the faces of its amazing children. The festivities began as a group of dedicated volunteers, brimming with enthusiasm, organized a delightful Christmas party. This home, nestled with love and care, is where five wonderful children, each with unique medical needs, find healing and support.

 

Amidst twinkling lights and festive décor, the children eagerly dove into the holiday spirit. With laughter echoing through the room, they decorated a Christmas tree, each ornament a testament to their creativity and joy.

 

 
Next, the joyous atmosphere intensified as presents were unwrapped, filling the room with excitement and gratitude. The volunteers had prepared unique gifts for each child. 

   

Lastly, the children relished treats, savoring every bite, their happiness illuminating the room.

  

 

For these children, the true magic of the season lay in the love and warmth shared among friends, nannies, and volunteers. Wishing you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas!

 

A Story of Strength and Hope

This month, we would like to share a little about a girl named MZ who has been receiving treatment in our medical home recently. 

Just Arrived

Little MZ suffered serious burns on many parts of her body as an infant.  Over the past three years, her orphanage has worked very hard to help her recover. Despite repeated surgeries and extended hospitalizations, she still has areas that refuse to heal. Her orphanage contacted us to see if we could help her, and of course we said yes.

Hospital Days

MZ has a serious wound that is impacting her right knee, making it so she is unable to straighten out her leg. Despite the pain that she is in, MZ is a strong girl. She tries to stand up by her bed and stretch out her leg, doing the various therapy exercises she needs to do each day.  The burn hospital specialists have created a plan of surgeries to help heal her wounds and release the joint contractures. Both in the hospital and at home, MZ is accompanied by her special nanny 24/7 to make sure all of her needs are met.

Bedrest

Puzzle Time

We are both humbled and amazed by MZ’s strength and determination.  She is an incredibly capable child who meets each day’s challenges with courage and a cheerful attitude.  She’s a quick learner and loves engaging in games, puzzles and craft projects.  Your support allows us to provide healing and nurturing to children like MZ. 

Beautiful MZ

A Brighter Future for H

Meet H! This sweet little girl was transferred to our care in July 2023.

 

Her parents were unable to care for her, so she was being raised by her grandfather. Last year, H’s grandpa recognized that due to his advanced age and worsening health he couldn’t keep up with an active preschooler. So four year old Han was taken to the local orphanage. The orphanage staff noticed that she had a number of minor health issues and made plans to follow up on those. She seemed otherwise healthy, though perhaps a bit developmentally delayed.

Before H was able to consult with any specialists she suffered a gastrointestinal emergency and needed surgery immediately. The local hospital in her province was unable to help her, so she transferred to Beijing, where we assumed responsibility for her care. At the end of July, she had surgery.

 

Following her recovery form the emergency surgery, we arranged the ophthalmology and ENT consults that she needed. In September, she underwent another successful surgery for her ophthalmology needs and in October, she had another surgery for her ENT needs. We are grateful that we could provide her with treatment for all of her medical needs.

H is an inquisitive, determined, resourceful little girl who has adapted well to our home. She loves to read books, play with play-doh and do arts and crafts. We look forward to witnessing how this sweet girl grows and thrives in the days ahead.

A glimpse into the future

It is our goal to provide each of the children in our care the best possible foundation for a brighter future. So it is not surprising that one of the questions we frequently hear from our supporters is "What will happen to these children when they grow up?"  Let us tell you about something that happened recently that gives us a little window into the possibilities.

Last month a group of young men and women who were formerly cared for in our projects gathered together in China for a “family” reunion.  Some of them now live and work in Beijing, some live in other provinces in China, and some came all the way from the US for this gathering.  Among the group, some are married or living alone in their own homes, a few are living with their adoptive families, and others live with foster parents or in group homes.  

Despite the separation of many miles and many time zones, the group had frequently been in touch  through messaging and video apps. Yet this was the first time in over ten years that they were able to be together in one place.  During this time, it was possible for them to reunite with some of their former caregivers, foster parents, teachers and other Little Flower staff.  

Many special meals and outings were planned; precious childhood memories were relived, and new ones were made. We were even able to celebrate a birthday!

Some from the group were able to travel to their home province and visit the orphanage where they had been before they came to Little Flower.  The buildings had changed, but they still recognized many familiar landmarks. 

   

Those of us who loved and cared for them when they were small were amazed to see how much they’ve grown and changed.  Each has tackled life’s challenges with grace and perseverance.  Most of them have found employment in various industries that suit their skills and abilities.  Some are still hoping to continue their education or vocational training.   Most of all, it was delightful to see how each has developed a unique personality and lively sense of humor.  We are so proud of the capable, independent and compassionate young adults they have become!

Your support allows us to provide medical care, education and nurturing family-based care to the 131 children currently in our care.  It is our greatest hope that twenty years from now we will be having another reunion, welcoming the children you are supporting today to share memories of the past and hopes for the future!