Zhuo Ma's vision

Two weeks ago I wrote about Zhuo Ma who needed surgery to repair the burn injuries caused to her face and hand before she came to Huangnan Children's home.

Zhuo Ma's visit to Hong Kong for surgery has been a landmark event for her and a rewarding experience for us.

When she arrived in Hong Kong Zhuo Ma was exhausted from all the excitement. She’d just left Huangnan for the first time in her twelve-year-old life, and she had experienced her very first flight. The morning after her arrival, she visited us at Christian Action’s headquarters and the staff made a huge fuss over her. She smiled from ear to ear as she moved from office to office and was photographed with everyone. 

Zhuo Ma emerged from the operating theatre after five hours of intense surgery. The skin around her eye has been released, and she has had extensive repair work done to her injured hand. Two days after the surgery, her friends phoned her from Huangnan Children's home to encourage her, and despite her pain, we saw the hint of a smile!

Staff at the orphanage had Zhuo Ma's friends email get well messages to her

Her recovery process has been very painful.  Her doctors kept her in hospital for two weeks. She lost her appetite and her weight went down by three kilogrammes, but once the pain subsided she started eating very well again.  She was discharged last Saturday night and was thrilled to leave the confinement of a hospital bed and white walls! She is staying at the home of a good friend from Resurrection Church and will be visiting the doctor this week for final consultations. Zhuo Ma is really pining for Huangnan Children’s Home, but she understands that she can only leave Hong Kong once the doctors are satisfied that she is well enough. 

Zhuo Ma is very shy, but once you are a friend she reveals that she is a very optimistic little girl who wants to be independent.  She said before the surgery, "What really bothers me is that I can’t use my left hand very much. I can use my chopsticks with my right hand, but I can’t hold my bowl." She never wanted to ask for help, so Zhuo Ma’s wish before surgery was:  "I hope that I will be able to use my hand, because it will make tasks like eating, washing my clothes and my hair much easier."

Despite her shyness, and her petite size, Zhuo Ma has a huge vision. She says, "I want to be a teacher and give children the knowledge and confidence they need to explore the world!"

Thank you for helping us help children like Zhuo Ma, who have now caught the vision of helping others.