LWB Fundraiser - Update

Just got word that one of the kiddoes that the 2006 fundraiser is not only doing great, but he's found his family! Hopefully the process will go smoothly and he'll be home soon. Here are some pics ... isn't he a cutie?





And here's some more news about another little boy who is "in foster care and apparently is thriving in his family. He is described as energetic and outgoing. He can walk and call to his "Nai Nai". He likes to visit the neighbors and to say goodbye when people are leaving the house." He sounds (and looks) so precious!

Xiang's Getting a Family!

I'm so excited! Just received this from Love Without Boundaries! "Xiang whom you sponsored for lip repair surgery over the Christmas holidays is having her paperwork started for adoption!" Thanks to everyone who contributed to the fundraiser!

Update on Hui!

I received this from the Love Without Boundaries Cleft Surgery Coordinator!

I have an update on the surgery with photos for Hui from Jiangsu Province. AFter his surgery on the 17th of January, he was dismissed from the hospital on February 3 and then we got the attached photos. He is so precious! I love the hairdo. His repair is looking very good and I'm sure will continue to improve. Thank you so much for helping this little boy have a transformation!

Here are the pics. Isn't he precious?

Another update on Nian!

I just received this from the Love Without Boundaries Medical Heart Coordinator:

Dear Sponsor:

We have checked on Nian, and the hospital has reported that he is doing well except that he is congested. They report that he requires extra care due to his unrepaired cleft so they are keeping him in ICU where they can keep a close watch on him.

I am attaching a photo of Nian taken in the hospital after surgery. What a sweet and tiny baby!

Please continue to keep him in your thoughts and prayers as he recovers.

Thank YOU so much for helping Nian!

Here's his picture:




And thanks to everyone who participated in the fundraiser. I'm planning another one for later this year. I'll keep you posted!

Update on Nian!

I just received this update from the Medical Program Heart Coordinator forLove Without Boundaries:

Dear Sponsor:

We have received an update on Nian. He is still in ICU recovering. His breathing and circulation have now been stabilized. Although he can now breathe more steadily, he must still be watched carefully so they will keep him in ICU for one or two more days. He will probably remain in the hospital for 10-15 days once he moves to the regular ward to make sure that his recovery is successful.

We have asked if they can go ahead and do his cleft lip repair before he is discharged, but they have requested that we wait approximately 3 months before bringing him back to the hospital for this repair.

Please keep Nian in your thoughts and prayers as he recovers.

Thank YOU so much for helping him!

More LWB fundraiser updates!

I recently heard that one of the kids -- Nian -- was taken to Anhui Children’s Hospital for cleft lip repair, and at that time the doctors discovered that he had a heart defect. His heart surgery had to be scheduled before the lip repair, and the poor little guy had to be treated for pneumonia even before that.

On Tuesday of last week, he had the heart surgery and it went well. As of the last update to me, he's in ICU and recovering. Please keep little Nian in your thoughts and prayers!

And remember, you can help by following this link to Love Without Boundaries.

Love Without Boundaries Fundraiser -- Update!

I'm so excited to be able to post this update! As those of you popping over here probably already know, I recently sponsored a fundraiser for Love Without Boundaries, a wonderful non-profit that provides help to orphans in China. We raised over $8,000, and LWB asked me how that money should be spent. In honor of Isabella Chenchen, I asked that 25% be used for the benefit of kids with cleft lips/palates, and the remaining go to kids with the most need as determined by LWB.

I'm happy to say we've been helping a lot of kids!

Here's some information I've received from the great folks at LWB:

These are the first two kids with clefts that LWB has been able to help: "The first child, Xu Hui, is a one year old boy who lives in Jiangsu Province. He has a rather wide unilateral cleft lip and palate and you will be sponsoring his lip repair. He is such a cute little boy and I know he will only get more handsome with his lip healed! The second child is a beautiful 5 year old girl names Yi Hua from Jiangxi Province. She has had her lip repaired but really needs to have a palate repair before she gets much older. This will help improve her health her speech."

Isn't that great! I'm especially excited about Yi Hua -- five years is a long time to live with a cleft palate. I had no real conception before we got CC of just how little these kids are able to say. CC, for example, has a few gutteral vowel sounds. Most of her words are based on inflection. We get some "M" and some "D" but not much. The palate is just so essential to the formation of words and the development of speech! I know that her inability to communicate often frustrates her, and since Catherine is 5 -- and a nonstop talker -- I can imagine how difficult it must be for Yi Hua. I'm so excited the repair will be done and she can begin to learn the skills for speech!

Here are their pictures:






I later received info about the third child: "Your 3rd sponsored child is named Xiang and she is from Anhui Province!! {Chenchen is from Anhui!!} She is 7 month old and needs to have her lip repaired." This is so wonderful! Feeding these kids is so difficult, and once the lip is repaired, she'll be able to get much better nutrition!

Isn't she a doll? And very special in that she was moved to the hospital for the surgery on Christmas day!



And the last child (so far!) that we've helped is Lei. He "is just a little over one year old. He is from a rural orphanage in Anhui Province and will be having his palate repaired." Here he is. What a cutie!



Thanks to all the participants who donated time, talent, books and more! And thanks to everyone who bid in the auction! You've done a world of good for some deserving kiddos!