Little Ai Li

Baby Ai Li arrived a few weeks ago, tiny, frail and seriously ill. Shortly after she arrived her condition worsened, and she was admitted to the hospital. After more than a week of treatment she showed little improvement and it was decided to discharge her back to us for palliative care.



This little sweetheart has a serious heart defect. There are also concerns about a chromosome disorder. It is expensive and risky to operate now, so surgeons are recommending we wait - if her general condition improves then we will consider the surgery option again later. But we all all painfully aware that she may not survive to become strong enough for surgery.



Babies like Ai Li are never easy to care for. She is very fussy and irritable, finding it hard to get comfortable. When she's crying and fussing her heart rate and oxygen levels are very unstable, so the nannies work constantly to keep her calm. Her needs for special nursing care and close observation are intense. And of course, cuddling and loving a little baby who may not live very long is one of the most emotionally draining jobs out there.


Although the work is never easy, we are so grateful to our nannies who dedicate themselves to children like Ai Li. And we are also grateful to you, those who support us in what we do. Thank you!

Jason is looking for his family...

"Jason" is a handsome little boy who celebrated his first birthday in September. He was born with a complex heart defect. Surgeons in China are unable to operate; his only hope is that a family will adopt him and provide him with the medical care that he needs.

Jason is a calm and easy going little guy. He's somewhat delayed in his development but that is easily explained by the severity of his medical problems. He loves to rock in his seat, and has figured out how to do it by himself without any help - he's a smart one! He loves to blow raspberries and amuses his nannies with his intensity and concentration when doing so. He is able to sit up on his own and is learning to eat solid foods. Aside from his heart defect he is otherwise healthy.

When he first came his was very introverted and hesitant in his interactions with his nannies, but now he seems much more at ease. He seeks eye contact and asks to be held often.

Everyone who sees him comments on how beautiful he is. We agree - little Jason is a gorgeous little boy!







If you are interested in learning more about this little boy, please contact Marci at ASIA (Associated Services for International Adoption). Please help us spread the word so that he can find his family soon! And pray that he stays healthy while he waits.

Mu and Ai

What do you suppose they are discussing?

Baker-McKenzie Visit

In October, some partners and associates of the Baker-McKenzie law firm visited one of our baby homes to spend time with the babies under our care. Here are some moments from their time there:

"Look at those cute little feet!"

Holding a precious little bundle.

"Mind if I sit here with you?"

Hanging out together.

Gratuitous group photo!

Thanks to Baker-McKenzie for coming out and visiting our babies, as well as their generous donation of $10,000 to help us continue caring for these children.

Older Kids Outing

If you saw our last post, our babies aren't the only ones getting a chance to get out and have fun. The kids of one of our long term care home (along with some of their caregivers) took a trip this month; let us share some of the moments from their outing with you!

About to get on a fun ride...

"Look, I've made a new friend!"

A big smile on a sunny day.

"We're hungry after all of those rides. Let's eat!"

One last picture for the road.

Out to eat...

We've had a bunch of really great volunteers lately, and they (along with some of our regular staff) have given some of our older babies the chance to join them at various local restaurants and coffee shops. The children love to get out and always have a wonderful time.

Here is Mu Mu enjoying some fries at the golden arches:


Another day, another restaurant - Gui Xiang, Jian Jun and Mu Mu checking out the menu:



And everyone's favorite, a coffee break!



In fact, coffee breaks were so enjoyable they went several times.
Here's Mu Mu asking "Are we there yet?"



Mei Mei was pretty happy to get there too:



Getting settled - "Can I help you with your jacket?"



"And what will these young ladies be having today?"



A little entertainment while we wait for our coffee and muffins:



Jing Xuan didn't manage to stay awake. Maybe he needs more coffee!



Gui Xiang checking out a ginormous muffin... she says "not for me!" (No, she's not eating yet, but we aren't giving up. We figure beautiful muffins like this will eventually tempt her enough to give it a try.)



Mu Mu isn't into coffee yet, but she's happy to help with the lovely cream on top!



Mei Mei wants a taste too:



"OK, enough coffee. Can I try on those cool sunglasses?"



"Wow, that was fun. Hope we can come back to play again soon!"

Lots of tiny baby girls!

Many of our new arrivals this past week are preemie girls. We'd like to introduce them to you, but take caution when scrolling below: cuteness overload!

Baby Xin weighs about 4 1/2 lbs and aside from a bit of malnutrition, seems pretty healthy and alert:

Baby Jia Mei came to us from Inner Mongolia. She a tiny 4 lbs now, but so much personality!

Babies Cen and Qin are "orphanage sisters" - they come from the same province, same city, and same orphanage in central China. These two girls are the exact same weight (3 1/2 lbs) and have almost the same birthday, but they could not be more different in appearance!

Baby Cen:

Baby Qin, love that smile:

Cen and Qin are so small they snuggle into the same infant seat quite comfortably:

We'll leave you with one last photo of Cen and Qin. Doesn't it look like they are whispering secrets to each other?