Happy Dragon Boat Festival!

Dragon Boat festival (Duanwu Jie) is a Chinese holiday celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calendar. Like most holidays, it is a time to get together with family and friends. However, for those without a family, celebrating holidays can be difficult. Although the children at Dew Drops Little Flower were abandoned, they are now not alone. Dew Drops might only be a temporary home but it is a home that provides life-saving surgeries and specialized care to those in need.  And so, today the children at Dew Drops Little Flower are able to celebrate Dragon Boat festival surrounded by those who love them!

Thank you to our nannies who are always by our side. You provide us care no matter if it is raining or sunny, the daytime or night time, the weekend or weekday! Without you, we could not survive! 

Thank you to all our visitors and volunteers. During your free time, you choose to come and help us! You have held us, played with us and cared for us and we are so grateful! 

Thank you to all the companies that have donated supplies and supported us! You have provided much needed items like formula, diapers, wet wipes and milk bottles. 

And lastly, thank you to all the donors and sponsors who we have never met. Although, we have not had the opportunity to meet you face to face, we are so grateful for your support! 

During holidays we especially think of our families and friends, 

Today we are grateful that YOU are right here with us! 

Happy Dragon Boat Festival! 

Thank You!

Today is an exciting day for one of the little boys at Dew Drops - Yang will be meeting his forever family today! We are so honored that we could be part of his journey this far and that he now has a family to love and take care of him. We are excited to share with you little Yang’s story today.

I have come a long way from being abandoned under a seat on a train to becoming a healthy boy 14 months later. I arrived at Dew Drops in July 2016 as a 4 month old boy diagnosed with a congenital heart defect and pneumonia. I was completely helpless. All I did was cry while my new nannies held me.

I was rushed to the hospital for emergency palliative heart surgery. My post-operative care was very difficult as I had suffered from pneumonia and liver damage. But those around me, never gave up. Although I was weak, the hope that surrounded me, encouraged me to keep fighting!

 

Even after I was discharged from the hospital, I was still weak. The specialized care I received helped me grow slowly every day.

I learned to lie on my tummy.

This was the first time I ate a banana!

I learned to sit.

My first Christmas!

I learned to crawl.

When I learned to stand by himself without support for a few minutes, all my nannies were very happy and proud!

Standing by myself!

As I practiced walking more, I knew that all my nannies were around me to help me in case I fell!

How happy I was when I learned to walk!

I also love to sing. Let me show you some of my favorites -  Twinkle twinkle little star,  Little donkey and Dian dou dou.

I am also a very polite boy. I say “hello” and “goodbye” to everyone!

Today is May 21^st, another normal day for some and a special day for me! Thank you for your support and love! When I struggled for my life, you were there! Your warm embrace encouraged me to keep fighting and growing. Today I will be leaving to go to my forever family. I have so many fond memories that I will cherish. Thank you for loving me!

Love Without Borders

Last week, at Jingdu Children’s Hospital, a group of American volunteers came to volunteer. In addition to playing with  children in our Orphan Care Project, they also interacted with some of the children receiving medical treatment for burn injuries at the hospital. These children experience unimaginable pain during their treatment process. It is a long process that can be very expensive and difficult for both the families and the children themselves. Together, they played games, sang songs and practiced English.

Here are some of the highlights:

I am little Hu. I like to play outdoors! 

I am YaoYao. I enjoy spraying everyone with my water gun. My caregiver got worried that I might infect my hand and took away my water gun. So I am upset!

Hi, my name is Zhao and I enjoy playing ball. I lost my leg in a car accident. Although my life has been difficult, I try to make the most of it. I am still studying hard and I enjoy meeting a lot of new people at the hospital, especially foreign visitors so I can practice my English! They don’t stare at me or whisper around me. I realize that I might look a bit different, but I am still a regular boy! I want to become a doctor when I grow up.

I am Xiao Ling. Although I can’t walk, I have a lot of skill with a ball. Hu and Yao play with their water gun, whereas, Zhao and I practice throwing. Even while sitting in a stroller, I can still throw a ball perfectly!

On the second day, the foreign volunteers took the children to the other side of the building to play. They practiced English together and the children taught the volunteers some Chinese words. Everyone was so happy to go outside and play together. You can see the relief and joy in the family members who also enjoyed the change in scenery!

Thank you to this group of volunteers for visiting us! 

The Beginning of a New Opportunity

 

In life we are sometimes given an opportunity that can completely affect our future. For 6 year old Xuan, who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, this occurred through the meeting of a Canadian physical therapist (Claire) volunteering at Dew Drops Little Flower. Due to her medical condition, Xuan’s mobility is limited. However, with her recent therapy sessions, she is learning to stand and ambulate with assistance. This unforeseen opportunity has brought out Xuan’s own internal determination and now her future might look very different to what she imagined.


                                     With support at her legs, Xuan practices standing.

 With less support, she is still able to stand.

Claire: Xuan, today can we challenge ourselves? Let’s try to stand with me supporting you with just one hand, is that okay?

Xuan: Yes!

Claire: Are you ready?

Claire: Great job! Let’s try again. Are you ready?

Xuan: Yes, I am!

Claire: Don’t worry. I am behind you.

Xuan: Okay

Claire: One more time, okay?

Xuan: Yes!

Isn’t this an example of an unforeseen opportunity that is now completely changing Xuan’s life?

This encounter has triggered Xuan’s own motivation and determination. We no longer see the shy girl that first came to our program. Although, Xuan still has a long way to go, we are hopeful by the progress she has already made. Her motivation will help her continue to press forward and work hard. Keep going, Xuan! Let this unforeseen opportunity help you continue to progress!