I have You

The celebration of the New Year in China is a family event. Parents, brothers, sisters, aunties, uncles, grandparents….they all come together to usher in the New Year. But for an abandoned child, these family members are unknown. They were given up for various reasons and live in an orphanage instead. But does losing one’s parents mean that everything is lost? The following stories explain why not.

Fei Fei was born with a heart defect and intracranial hemorrhage. He was found in the mountains on a cold winter day. The doctors were worried that his hemorrhage was too serious and that even if he survived, he would have brain damage. After surgery and specialized care, this boy who had frostbite and was given up on, is now a lively, smart, caring boy full of laughter! He even takes care of his younger sisters by giving them toys when they cry!


Zhan Zhan was born with Esophageal Atresia and Tracheoesophageal Fistula. After being abandoned, he entered the orphanage and was in and out of the hospital after repeated emergency operations. We finally met him when he was just over 5 months old, but he only weighed slightly over 4 pounds (2 kgs) and was severely malnourished. After many hospital visits and treatments, Zhan has come a long way from the weak, fragile boy we first met. He recently celebrated his 2nd birthday and is walking now, loves throwing balls and is a happy little guy!


Li Li was born with esophageal atresia and a heart defect. Her birth family left a long letter detailing the child’s complex medical needs and their helplessness. After a 12 hour travel day, we were able to bring Li to Beijing from her orphanage for emergency surgery. After a hard post-op period, she went back to the hospital for heart repair surgery. Today, Li is showing us the power of life. Just before the Spring Festival, she started to drink milk orally and is slowly weaning of her feeding tube. Way to go Li!


Cheng Cheng was born with anal atresia and low birth weight (2.1 kgs). He was abandoned at a “baby hatch”. We rushed him to Beijing on a 13 hour train for his chance at hope and life. Emergency surgery went smoothly and he started his road to heal. Today, he is a lively, healthy, loving boy who gets up to all kinds of mischief!


Lian Lian was born prematurely and with a hiatal hernia. After two operations, a G-tube was placed to ensure she was still receiving nutrients. When you held her, her little body seemed like it was weightless. Today, Lian no longer has a G-tube, she just took her first steps and she enjoys giving her nannies a kiss.


These children are just a few examples of children who are without their biological parents, but they are not alone in this world. They have love and warmth in their lives because of you. Their courage to fight for their life is unfailing. Their lives have changed course because of you. Their life is an example of the power of love. Laughter, warmth, hugs. These is the new normal for these children every day because of love. 

In China it’s said that on average in one life you will meet over 80,000 people. So we each have the possibility to impact 80,000 people! Join us in making change! One child at a time! Sign up to sponsor a child monthly for $30 and have a direct impact on a child – https://www.dewdropslittleflower.org/get-involved/sponsor-a-child/

Playtime with Zhan

Monday morning started like any other day. After morning snack time, the kids were all back in the playroom for some fun. From a young age, little Zhan has loved playing with balls. Small ones, big ones, he doesn’t really mind….he likes them all! Who would have thought that an entire morning could be filled with a few balls!

First, Zhan shows off his skills at catching the big blue ball and throwing it to his nanny.

This went on for a while….

Then there were two balls. Zhan was a little unsure at first, but quickly realized that he could throw both balls back at his nanny! There was double fun with two!

And of course, when you are having so much fun, you have to scooch closer to your nanny to make sure she too is having fun like you!

What a pleasant morning with Zhan!

Merry Christmas!

There is a place where from the outside, it might not look very fancy or luxurious. But it is filled with laughter and joy. This place is a home for 20 precious children whom are taken care of 24 hours a day by loving nannies. In this place, the children eat nutritious food and are provided medical care to help them grow bigger. 

This week, this place had a visitor….Santa! He brought some presents and extra cheer to this home.



The children marveled at his long white beard and wondered what all the festivities were about! We explained, “It’s Christmas!” And so, we decorated the Christmas tree, ate some cookies, sang some carols and of course, took lots of pictures to remember Christmas 2018 together! 

From our family to yours, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year! 

45 Days

The end of the year can seem like a very busy time…preparing for big holiday meals, buying gifts, seeing family, the list goes on and on. Here at Little Flower’s Dew Drops Homes, we too are preparing for the end of the year. Well, actually for the next year. We know that every week, children are abandoned in hospitals, train stations and in baby hatches. Many of these little ones have special needs that the local orphanages are not prepared to handle, so they call us. “Can you help this child?”

We want to be prepared for the phone calls from an orphanage when a newly abandoned baby is found. We want to have the staff and equipment ready to send out to help transport a critically ill infant. We want to have funding ready to do the life saving surgery right away. We want to have enough nannies that we can ask one to do one on one kangaroo care for a tiny preemie who can’t regulate his body temperature. We want to be able to say, without hesitation, “YES! We will help this child.”

They need our help. Will you join us for the last 45 days of 2018 and help us raise funds to cover 45 days of operating costs for 2019? Your gift will make a difference for all of the children in our three Dew Drops homes.

If you prefer to mail a check, please make it out to China Little Flower and send to:


China Little Flower

4388 Steinbeck Way

Ave Maria, FL 34142

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

China Little Flower is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt charity in the USA and donations are tax deductible for US taxpayers to the full extent allowable by law.

Our 1 in 20,000 Butterfly Baby

This week is National EB Week (October 25 to 31). “EB” stands for Epidermolysis Bullosa, a group of genetic conditions that result in easy blistering of the skin. EB may be classified into 3 types depending on how the condition manifests: EB simplex, junctional EB and dystrophic EB. Patients with EB simplex show the least symptoms. Sometimes, they may not develop symptoms until they start to crawl or walk. Junctional EB (formerly known as lethal junctional EB) is the most severe out of the 3 types, and patients with junctional EB have a low survival rate. EB affects 1 out of every 20,000 people. As medical technology develops, EB patients have a better survival rate and quality of life. Children with EB are often referred to as “butterfly children”, not because they look like butterflies, but because their skin is fragile like butterfly wings.

 

                             

From the moment they are born, these children suffer from skin damage, blisters, adhesion of their fingers or toes, having their nails fall off, shrinking of their joints, skin infections etc. In serious cases, skin damage or peeling may even occur while the fetus is still in the mother’s womb, resulting in partial loss of skin on the children’s limbs after birth. Children who are fortunate enough to survive face lifelong struggles with skin that is easily blistered and damaged, and have to implement strict skincare routines. There has been some successful treatment of the condition via bone marrow transplantation, but due to the expensive cost of such treatment, there are not many precedents and the effective treatment of EB is still a way off.

Some may think, why prolong the suffering of such children? It’s not an unusual thought, but life is priceless, full of surprises and unquantifiable – who are we to put a price on a child’s life and decide that such a child’s life is not worth living? Looking at the face of this smiling child, our doubts and fears are erased. We choose to give him a future.

This little guy with a sunny disposition and a smile up to his ears is a 1 in 20,000 butterfly baby. Although his skin develops new blisters every day, his warm smile never leaves his face. Here is his story. Shortly after the Spring Festival in February this year, this little guy with a 1 in 20,000 EB condition came to Dew Drops seeking help for his heart defect. Prior to his case, there has never been a successful precedent of such a young baby with EB undergoing open heart surgery here in China. Unwilling to give up despite the crushing odds against him, Dew Drops asked for and received generous help from all around the world for the little guy, and good news ensued. After more than 5 months of preparation and effort, this special butterfly baby entered the operating room in July this year and received a record-breaking heart surgery. The little guy beat all odds to recover day by day with the blessings and hope of everyone, starting a new life journey full of hope and strength!

In conjunction with the International EB Week, little Ping Ping, a 1 in 20,000 butterfly baby with a congenital heart defect, hereby represents all EB patients to thank all of you who have helped to care for and raise awareness of EB. May the richness of life be experienced by these precious butterfly children!

Fundraising Success!

It is always a joy when supporters from around the world join us in raising funds to directly benefit the children at Dew Drops Little Flower. Every donation counts towards making a difference in the lives of the 71 children in our homes. We don’t always know about the fundraising efforts happening around the world, but this week we were contacted by a teacher at an international school in Beijing and we would like to share her contribution.



On September 28th, 2018, a group of international elementary school students at Beijing International Bilingual Academy (BIBA) participated in a charity fun run. This is actually the second year that they have dedicated their fun run to the children at Dew Drops. This year, they raised over 32,000 RMB. A total of 153 individuals donated money. Not only was this event successful in directly benefiting the children at Dew Drops, it also raised awareness about orphans and their medical needs. We plan to use the funds to pay for little Wen Han’s upcoming surgery. 

So if you are looking for a way to make a difference and get involved today, please contact us! It can be a one-time event like a lemonade stand or bake sale or you can persuade your school or work to host a fundraising event! We are so grateful for all of our donors and supporters. Because of you, we are able to continue this life-giving work!

The Women behind the Happiness of more than 2,000 Children

A baby, a father and a mother are typically the key ingredients needed for a family to start their happy life together. However, even children without a family of their own are able to have a happy life. At first, these children’s stories start in a difficult place. They are abandoned by their birth parents for various reasons and found in different places, including train stations, bus stations, rubbish bins, or even by river or mountainside. Maybe the parents were unable to afford the medical treatment and surgery that the child needed. Maybe the child was just too “special” for the parents to accept. Maybe the child was unexpected….there are a lot of possibilities for why the story of these 2,000 children started the way it did.

…but because of your support, these children have had a very different experience to what one might expect for them. No matter how long or short their lives may be, they are all loved and cherished. Because of your support these caregivers and children continue on and are refreshed each day by the love you show them.

Dew Drops is made up of a group of women whose life and breath are caring for orphans and supporting poor families. They combine their kind-heartedness, stubbornness and persistence to delicately untangle the unique stories that makes each child special.

She, Lily, or as she calls herself, “the infant queen,” has been working with orphans since 2006, reaching over 2000 children in total. Regardless of the outcome, she feels that each encounter with a little one is a beautiful experience. Though her work has contained both heartwarming smiles and heartrending tears, she persists because of the unique beauty of each child’s story.

And she, she, she….the list goes on.

These are the women who surround these children’s stories. For the past 12 years, they have worked together to make a difference in over 2,000 children’s lives. And with your support, we are able to continue to make a difference in even more children’s lives.