Feliz 2012
From all of us at Love Without Boundaries to all of you, best wishes for a happy 2012…in any language!
Us Versus Them
This morning I had a phone call from someone who had read that we were helping children in China. What I thought was going to be a pleasant call actually gave me great pause when the woman asked me, “But why should WE help THEM?”
It probably didn’t help my mood that I had just finished reading Sarah’s Key, a book that took place during World War II. This book made me wonder how people can ever reach a point where they don’t see each other as fellow humans, but instead as “others,” somehow lesser and not worthy of help. My caller’s use of the word “them” cut through my heart like a knife, bringing images of tiny babies abandoned in cardboard boxes and toddlers shut down and in shock at suddenly finding themselves in an orphanage without their parents. Read more.
Counting Down Our Top Ten Photos of 2011: Smiley in Foster Care
Coming in at number one for 2011 is this adorable photo of little Alisha, grinning for the camera with her foster mom. Alisha is part of our Loudi foster care program, and every report describes her as social baby who is outgoing and loving.
Alisha goes shopping with her foster mom almost every morning, and she is always so happy to meet neighbors and greet them with a smile. We loved hearing that she is “especially enthusiastic” when she sees other children! We are so happy that sweet Alisha has now been chosen for adoption. Read more.
Counting Down Our Top Ten Photos of 2011: Foster Family Love
Ben is a beautiful little boy who is in LWB’s foster care program in Anhui Province. He loves playing with his foster brother, Jon, but obviously what Ben loves the most is being in the arms of his foster mom.
She likes to take him outside to walk in their vegetable garden, and she loves telling our local manager what a thoughtful and sweet little boy he is. We are such huge supporters of foster care for orphaned children as we believe every child deserves to grow up in a family setting versus growing up in an institution. Read more.
Brody: LWB’s Featured Child of the Week
Tiny Brody is the newest addition to our Heartbridge family. He was born in late November with a serious abdominal blockage. By the time Brody came into orphanage care a week later, he was in critical condition. Fortunately LWB’s medical team was able to arrange for emergency surgery the very next day. While our volunteers awaited news on Brody’s condition, we all hoped and prayed that this sweet baby boy would survive. Read more.
Counting Down Our Top Ten Photos of 2011: Peeking Out
Number three in our Top Ten Photos of 2011 is preciouis Yi. Baby Yi is part of our nutrition program in the Guangdong Province. She is a very sweet baby with a mild personality who loves to smile when her nannies tickle her. Yi was born with thalassemia, and she needs to go to the hospital for blood transfusions once a month.
We love this beautiful photo of her peeking out of her crib. Her nanny says she loves to be held most of all… and we think very few people could resist picking up such a beautiful little girl. We hope that a family will choose baby Yi in 2012 so that she can continue receiving the medical care she will need long-term.
Counting Down Our Top Ten Photos of 2011: He Did It!
When we first saw this photo, we laughed out loud as little Guang looks like he is firmly placing the blame on someone else. As part of our orphanage assistance program, families can send baby formula to their child’s orphanage as a gift, and this photo was taken shortly after a shipment had arrived in Xinyang. We are so happy that Guang was adopted this year, and we have heard the great news that his family is completely in love! Read more.
Gentle Zachary
Waiting on the shared list for his family to find him is a very special little boy named Zachary who impresses everyone he meets with his gentle, warmhearted nature. Maureen Brogan, our cleft surgery coordinator, met Zachary during our 2010 cleft surgery trip and wanted to share her impressions of this lovely boy from Fujian.
Zachary had his cleft lip and palate repaired during our 2010 cleft surgery trip and was featured in several blogs about the trip (Day Two, Day Three, and the final day). However, he has a severe protrusion of his front teeth and gum. Despite this deformity, he is a handsome boy. He needs an orthodontist or oral surgeon to start moving his jaw and upper teeth into the proper position. This procedure and the required braces are not available in China, and his best hope for a bright future is adoption. Read more.
