Preventing Child Abandonment

You may recall that the week before last I wrote that “Saving abandoned children and seeing them start living life to the fullest is one of the greatest thrills in my life”. There is another thing that excites me no end however, and that is seeing child abandonment being prevented in the first place. Our China staff have been doing a fantastic job at changing a longtime practice of abandoning disabled children - as the following story of Jun Jun and the sacrifices her mother made bear out.

Jun Jun was born with severe cerebral palsy. At the age of three, she was diagnosed with epilepsy and although she was treated at the time of her diagnosis, her parents couldn’t afford long term medical treatment. Jun Jun also has respiratory problems. As a result of improper medical care, by the time she was five years old, her parents had to watch helplessly as their daughter’s condition worsened and the seizures became more frequent.  To compound matters Jun Jun’s feet, both turned inwards from birth, gradually got to the point where she could no longer walk. At the age of 11, Jun Jun was only able to communicate using hand gestures, nods or short sounds.

Cases like this, of seriously disabled children born to parents with limited means, are not uncommon in Qinghai Province.    What’s unique however, is  that in the case of Mr and Mrs Wang, Jun Jun’s  parents -  they made the hard decision to keep their child.

Unfortunately,  the pressure of trying to make ends meet and care for Jun Jun became too much for Mr Wang and he deserted the family.  With an income of only RMB600 (US$88) per month Mrs Wang struggled to survive, but she did not abandon her daughter.   She began bringing Jun Jun to our Xining Children’s Rehabilitation Centre for medical treatment and rehabilitation, even though it meant literally carrying Jun Jun on her back across the city and two bus transfers to reach the Centre.

Mrs Wang’s  desperation gradually gave way to despair when her shoulders couldn’t take the strain of carrying Jun Jun every day and she realized she couldn’t continue carrying her daughter.

In November 2008, Christian Action’s Xining team put together a new program enabling  Christian Action supporters to sponsor needy members of the community like Mrs Wang.  Jun Jun now boards at the Children’s Home on weekdays, where she also receives special education and rehab training,  and then spends weekends with her mother.  There will be other costs including surgery for her club foot, medical consultation and her medications but for now the help means that Mrs Wang can cope - and Jun Jun still has her mother.

For Joyce Lee, our Xining based social worker, the program is a  wonderful way to love and support the women of Qinghai who have decided to keep their disabled children.   Your monthly sponsorship of HK$500 (US$64) will subsidize a family like Mrs Wang and Jun Jun.  Partial subsidies of any amount are also welcomed.   Please use the “donate” button to support our work.

God bless you,
Siew Mei

Comments

[J.J.M.PetersMSC]

I adopted Huang Si LIn as a disabled boy, he is a great boy now and gives me pleasure every day. Can we have contact?

[Siew Mei]

Thank you so much for leaving your comments. To find me, just visit my contact page by clicking on the "Contact" tab in the top right hand corner. It will be great to keep in touch and perhaps you can send us some updated photos of SiLin. We are happy to collect photos of our children adopted even when they have gone overseas. Every time when we have the chance to flip thru those albums, it encourages us to keep up our good work and reminds us to count the blessings we have to witness that they are leading a new and joyful lives abroad. I am sure SiLin is one of those.

Warmly,
Siew Mei