Why hello, Gerber baby. Look at you with your squeezable cheeks, bright eyes, and a hint of a double chin. Look at you all comfy and safe, with warm blankets, loving nannies, and arms ready to hold you. What a journey the past year has been, and how we wish you didn’t have to make it.
Some of you will remember that right before Christmas 2019, newborn preemie Elgin was found in the cold. We rushed him to LWB’s partner hospital in Hefei. Baby Elgin was admitted to the Neonatal ICU (NICU) weighing just 1.3 kgs, or 2.9 pounds. After spending over a month in the hospital at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Elgin reached the “magic weight” of 4 lbs and could leave the hospital at last.
This winter, we were called by orphanages asking for help with two tiny boys, both of whom were orphaned at birth: Elgin and Ryder. Both Elgin and Ryder were hospitalized and have made great progress in their healing. Under normal circumstances, they would be ready to discharge to the specialized care of our China Healing Home. Unfortunately, the Coronavirus outbreak has caused both the PT center where our healing home is located and their home orphanages to be sealed and quarantined. No one has permission to leave or enter the facilities at the moment, so for now, the safest option for these two fragile babies is to stay right where they are — in the hospital.
On Christmas Eve, a tiny preemie baby was found in rural Anhui. Baby Stephen, as he came to be called, weighed a little more than two pounds and needed immediate intervention to remain alive.
Thankfully, his orphanage called us right away, and he was moved to the top children’s hospital in his home province where he began a fight for his life.
Read more.
In the last few weeks, a tiny warrior by the name of Connie has been capturing hearts.
Connie’s orphanage called us in late January after she was abandoned and found by the police. Although the circumstances of her birth were unknown, they felt she was born prematurely. Read more.
Back in August, we were contacted by an orphanage who had just taken in a tiny preemie baby weighing just over 1 kg. We rushed little Vivienne to the provincial children’s hospital, where she was admitted to the NICU and placed on oxygen.
