Lost and found children

Last week I told you about little Xiao Hui who was three years old when he was abandoned at Xining railway station. You might be one of the people wondering what efforts were made to find Xiao Hui's parents, especially because he had already had surgery and therefore must have been loved.

The answer to your question is firstly that it is a criminal offense for anyone to abandon their child, disabled or healthy. Parents contemplating such a move would make quite sure they cannot be traced by the police.

Most middle class families in Qinghai can barely afford routine medical care.  We have had several cases where abandoned infants have been well cared for, but are very sick and need immediate medical attention. Parents "abandon" the baby with the hope that the government will pay for treatment and the baby may survive. 

Additionally, having a child to support you when you are too old to work is the defacto retirement scheme in China. Until recently, disabled children in China did not survive into adulthood, so it is unknown for the disabled to work. Parents are therefore faced with the prospect of raising a child who will not only be unable to care for them in their old age, but who will also need continual personal care.

You might ask what you can do about this distressing situation.  I have two suggestions.  If you are a praying person, pray that news of Christian Action’s community education workshops will reach families so that they can learn to access the treatment, and thereby reduce abandonment. 

Clicking on the red "Donate" button also helps save desperately ill children and the parents who need to be informed of our caring role

Thank you!