Yushu Earthquake Reveals Fighters!

An earthquake is terrifying for adults, so it’s hard to imagine how the terror and the devastation of the 7.1 Yushu earthquake would effect little children.  I’ve told you before about 8-year-old Diji Bamao, who was pinned down when a tractor flipped over onto her, leaving her unable to walk.

Now, almost a year later, I want to give you an update on Bamao and also 7-year-old Baima, another little Tibetan girl from Yushu.

When Baima was two years old and got a high fever, a doctor in her village prescribed an injection which left her unable to walk.  Because Yushu is so remote, medical skills and equipment are less advanced, so neither Bamao nor Baima received any formal rehabilitation.

The good news is that a few months ago, they visited a clinic in Yushu and met the rehabilitation consultant from Christian Action.  After that consultation,  my good friend Eva To became their sponsor, so in mid December 2010 the two girls, accompanied by their fathers, were transported to Xining Rehabilitation Centre.  Xining is a remote city to us, but for the two village girls from extremely remote Yushu, life in Xining presented huge challenges. The culture, living environment and even the food are all different from their home town.

Baima has five siblings and she is the fourth child. Their parents always sleep with the children.   At our Children’s Homes we usually care for orphaned or abandoned children, so it was very special for us to have a situation where Baima and her father were so worried about being separated at night that they both cried.  Instead of full-time care, we arranged for the two girls to receive day training, so that they could stay with their own fathers at night.

It was sad to find that Bamao will never walk again due to the damage caused by the tractor.  But she doesn’t give up and enjoys being taught how to take care of herself and do things like having a shower and dressing herself.  She’s getting used to life in the Rehab Centre and she isn’t shy in front of strangers who don’t speak her dialect. The camera-man couldn’t communicate with her, but she understood, laughed and posed for the camera!

It was good to hear that Baima is expected to walk again if she receives proper training. She’s a smart child and has adapted well to the new environment in Xining.

Both girls are brave little fighters, and their fighting spirit is something that the earthquake could not take away.  Of course we will always be supportive of both girls, and continue to provide them with whatever help will encourage them to remain strong and courageous.