Affairs of the Heart

Last year I told you about Kai, a delightful teenager who was enjoying our special education classes at Xining Children's Rehabilitation Centre. Kai's education has been supported by Wereldkinderen since 2012. He was doing so well, but now there's a serious setback which could prove life threatening. That's why I'm especially asking you to pray for Kai.

In addition to Down’s Syndrome, Kai was born with an atrial septal defect. In layman’s terms: a hole in his heart. As a result he suffers from pulmonary arterial hypertension. Most children would have had surgery between the age of three and six to repair this defect, but Kai was only diagnosed with ASD at the age of nine. Now aged 13, this rambunctious little boy is too exhausted to play for more than ten minutes and he gets frustrated because he can’t climb more than two flights of steps without needing a rest.

Kai's mischievous
nature still shines
through.

Kai lives with his parents and grandparents, and their joint household income makes them ineligible for government medical assistance. Repairing a hole in the heart is a major surgical procedure with some hefty costs involved, and doctors in Qinghai simply do not have the expertise to deal with the risks associated with performing this surgery on someone as old as Kai.

We are thanking God for a donor with a wonderfully generous heart who is prepared to not only pay for Kai’s surgery outside Qinghai, but also for his pre and post operative care, and the living expenses for Kai’s mother as she accompanies him throughout his ordeal.

This is a true blessing, but it is only the first step. The surgery will be very risky. I know that Christian Action donors truly care for children like Kai, so would you please pray with us for Kai as he faces the biggest challenge of his life?