May 19, 2009

Here’s a picture of Dr. Joyce doing what she does best, casting the legs of a child with club feet. She had to snip a tendon in the ankle and the casts reshape the ankle, enabling the child to grow and walk normally. Many older children in this area grow up and still have club feet. Many orphanages are bringing their children with club feet to Joyce and she corrects it. J

Today, Robin and I flew to Luoyang, south of Beijing. They are opening a new, state of the art center, for children being rescued from China’s notorious ‘dying rooms.’ In many orphanages, hopeless children are left alone in these dying rooms to pass away, alone and in pain. If they don’t die of their illness, then of starvation and neglect. This sounds awful, however when the orphanages can’t provide the support the child needs, it’s their way of putting these children out of misery as quickly as possible. Whew.

The good news, is that Steven Curtis Chapman’s ‘Shaohannah’s Hope’ raised the $1.5 million to construct this new center. In a similar center run by New Hope, 60% of the children don’t survive, but they will be loved and given a chance. 40% do survive and go on to be adopted. Here are two picture of the new medical center that will take 130 babies at a time. 

Like I said before, these people are surely entertaining angels… their lights shine in such a way… I am truly inspired to be a little less about me and to pay a little more attention to those in need.

For those of you who aren’t aware of Portion for Orphans’ work, we raise funds for a number of orphanages mainly in Thailand, China and Kenya. 100% of what we raise benefits the children. Donations can made at any time via our website www.portionfororphans.org If you’d like to make a donation directly to one of the orphanages we support, just contact us for more info.