Hands across the world

One of the wonders of our care for the orphaned and disabled children in a remote place like Qinghai, is that God's help comes to us from so many nations. Dr. Fernando Nobre from Portugal is one of those special people who recently visited Xining Children's Home and Rehabilitation Centre. He and his daughter, Isabel met seven-year-old Cai-cai who received more than a helping hand from his organization, Assistência Médica Internacional (AMI).

When Cai-cai came to us, she was only eight weeks old. Pneumonia made her weak and listless. With excellent care, her health improved, but her little arms and legs didn't seem to get any stronger. Medical tests showed she had hypotonic cerebral palsy, which causes a lack of muscle tone in sufferers.

Cai-cai becomes more mobile

Xining Children’s Rehabilitation Centre had not yet been built, so Cai-cai’s physiotherapy began in Xining Children’s Home. She didn’t like it one bit! With her condition, it takes lots of extra energy for her to move around. Her therapists persisted, but change didn’t come quickly. Two years ago, the hard work began paying off. Now Cai-cai is much stronger and livelier, and shows an active interest in her surroundings. AMI’s donations helped fund the training for therapists at that time.

Impressed by the children’s progress, the Xining Civil Affairs Bureau built Xining Children’s Rehabilitation Centre in 2007. Around 120 children now get help there every week! Since then, AMI has sponsored several more Christian Action projects in Qinghai, including relief materials for those affected by the Yushu earthquake.

Dr. Fernando wants to help people, so their lives can change. He believes this is how we can change the world. As a surgeon, he feels he can have maximum impact through offering medical and educational assistance. When I see children like Cai-cai receiving help, I thank God for individuals like Dr. Fernando – individuals who want to give others a helping hand and a better life.

If you think you can help children like Cai-Cai in Qinghai, please let me know via the comments box below – I’d love to hear from you!