We like to give you an update on little Q, who was born with a life-threatening gastrointestinal defect and left with a note from his parents saying that they were unable to provide the medical care he needed.
We saw him through that surgery and thought it would be smooth sailing after that. And it was, for several years.
When he was three years old we were shocked when his doctors found a mass in his abdomen. He had surgery to remove the tumor, which was only partially successful.
He was diagnosed with neuroblastoma and began chemotherapy.
He appears to have responded well to the many rounds of chemo, but we have been warned that this is an aggressive cancer and highly likely to recur. He follows up regularly to monitor for any recurrence. Each time he gets the “all clear” we breathe a sigh of relief, but also realize he still has a long road ahead.
As if that were not enough for any small boy, we recently noticed that he was snoring and having difficulty breathing when he sleeps. He returned to Beijing to see the ENT specialists, who scheduled an additional surgery to remove his tonsils and adenoids.
We are grateful to all who support our work. Because of you, we had systems in place to provide lifesaving surgery to Q when he was first abandoned. And we were able to recognize, diagnose, and arrange surgery when he encountered his more recent health issues. But most of all, Q has not had to face these challenges alone. He has always had the comforting presence of his nanny, who has accompanied him on his many hospital visits. His caregivers have worked hard to ensure that his all of his medical care and hospitalizations were accompanied by love and nurturing interactions. Thank you for making this possible!