This
month’s featured child is little Song. Song came to our Infant Care Home in
Beijing earlier this year in March. He was 4 months old at that time. He came
to us with an initial diagnosis of biliary atresia.
We
soon got Song checked by doctors here in Beijing, who confirmed that he does
have biliary atresia. Biliary atresia is a life-threatening condition in
infants in which the bile ducts inside or outside the liver do not have normal
openings. And so, Song needed treatment as soon as possible, or else his liver
would fail.
In
April, Song was able to get the Kasai procedure and he is currently recovering
well from it. Kasai is a surgical procedure done for biliary atresia babies
that helps to route the bile out of the liver and into the digestive system
where it is needed. It is generally not a curative or long term fix, but
can buy the baby some time before he needs a liver transplant. Since his
return from the hospital, Song’s skin is less yellow in color, but still not
normal. Although Song is stable now, he is still in need of a major, lifesaving
medical surgery in the future.
Song
is able to now roll over by himself! And he can sit up with a little support.
He is a sweet boy who loves to be cuddled! Our staff pays close attention to
provide the specialized nutrition that he needs in order to maximize his liver
function.
We hope that Song’s
adoption paperwork goes through quickly and that he finds his “forever family”
soon. We wish he can be connected with a family before he reaches the point
where he needs a liver transplant in order to survive.
