Miracles in a decade
In the hallway, I said goodbye to Rongrong and she broke down in tears. But I had to go because there was another child who was receiving a surgery and needed me more.
My name is Yan Weimin, a Chunhui mama of Chunhui Care Home. Looking back at the first half of my life, I realize that the past 10 years I spent with the CCH children have been a most fulfilling and inspiring decade.
Those adorable little children are the source of my happiness and my whole heart goes out to them. In them I see resilience and stoicism. They make wonderous changes and bring us hope. Rongrong is just one of our wonders.
In 2017, Rongrong, a baby girl not yet 1 years of age, came to CCH. She suffered from tetralogy of fallot (TOF, a congenital heart deformity) and joint contracture in all her four limbs. Her face and body were all blue and her breath was very faint. I held her in my arms, praying that she could tough up and survive. Only when she survived could she have hope for life.
In the 5 years following her arrival, Rongrong received a number of surgeries, big or small, in the heart or the limbs. At some point, her right leg, even after the surgery, began to relapse into its original position. The doctor used Iilzarov fixator to stabilize the leg. Many steel wires went through the girl’s lower leg and the fixator would stay there for 6-8 weeks. Once every two days, the doctor adjusted the fixator to keep it in proper place. It was piercing pain and Rongrong cried her heart out. I held her tight in my arms, letting her know that I would always be there for her. The five-year-old little girl braved against all the agony of surgeries and rehabilitation exercises and finally survived.
She has returned to her institution. I believe her best days are yet to come. Wish you all the best, my dear daughter Rongrong.
Light up hope for life
Some children are born with special needs. They are emotionally insecure and withdrawn to their own worlds. What they need is a nurturing environment, respect, loving care and communication.
I am Liu Xiaoli. I became a full-time Chunhui mama of CCH in 2012. CCH receives children with life-threatening diseases from welfare institutions across China and helps them receive their much-needed surgeries. As Chunhui mamas, we pay the closest attention to each child’s smallest needs and changes, and use responsive care to provide them the brain stimulation and appropriate games critical for their physical, cognitive, language, and social-emotional development in their early years of life.
Each of the children at CCH has gone through a lot. They hurt and suffer so much. I tell myself that I will give them as much loving care as I can. So, while they are in the hospital for a surgery, I stay beside them, smiling to them, talking to them and letting them know that they are not alone.
At CCH, we also help the children learn and develop self-care skills so that they will have no problem readapting when they return to their institution.
I was fortunate to join Chunhui Children. The past decade with the children has been an extraordinary journey of life for me. I’ve witnessed wonders of life over and over again and learned that even the most underprivileged lives have a chance to blossom. I wish we will go even further to reach more deprived children.