CHINA / Regional
Deformed babies get free operations
(China Daily)
Updated: 2006-09-22 09:15
SHENYANG: An abandoned Chinese baby boy with a cleft palate may be given
a free operation by an American charity after his plight was highlighted
on the China Daily website.
The abandoned baby boy with a cleft palate sleeps at a local police
station in Shenyang, capital of Northeast China's Liaoning Province. The
baby boy may be given a free operation by an American charity after his
plight was highlighted on the China Daily website. [Newsphoto]
He is just one of scores of youngsters the San Francisco-based Alliance
for Smiles (AFS) hopes to help while it is in China.
On September 17, the infant was found under a bridge in Shenyang, the
capital of Northeast China's Liaoning Province. The child, thought to be
about a month old, was taken to the Shenyang Children's Welfare Institute.
Several pictures about the baby were published on the China Daily website
earlier this week and seen by someone in the United States.
"My friend Jeannie Butler sent me an email from the US about the baby,"
said South African Amanda Delange, who has been living in Xi'an, the
capital of Shaanxi Province, for a year, where she has been caring for
six orphans.
Delange contacted Jennifer Guerra from AFS, knowing the charity was in
China to help children with cleft palates/lips.
Guerra got in touch with Dr Colin C. Wong, leading the current medical
team in China. But as Dr Wong had no idea about how to find the boy, he
turned to China Daily for help. Yesterday the paper contacted the
Shenyang Children's Welfare Institute.
After finding out the baby's age, Dr Wong said it would be risky to do an
operation now. But he added: "We will come back next year. Then, if
possible, I want to help the boy and do the operation."
He said that this time around, his team will carry out operations on 110
children in Northeast China for free.
The current AFS project, organized with the help of the Shenyang Red
Cross Society, focuses on young patients with cleft palates/ lips in
Shenyang and other cities in Northeast China, according to Liu Xicheng,
vice-president of the Shenyang Red Cross Society.
A doctor examines the abandoned baby boy with a cleft palate at a local
police station in Shenyang, capital of Northeast China's Liaoning
Province. [newsphoto]
"Our aim is to provide a free service for children from low-income
families and orphans," said Liu.
The medical team has 32 members from around the world including Canada,
Australia and America.
In order to help more patients, the local Red Cross started working early
last month in Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang Provinces, added Liu.
He said over 300 children from over 10 cities are in the Shenyang
Children Hospital in readiness for an operation, although they cannot all
be treated because of time limits and their health status.
"Such an operation can really help them as it can repair their faces and
allow them to live as normal kids," said Wong.
Operations are arranged according to the condition of each child,
according to Don D. Walker, ward co-ordinator of the team.
Doctors from ASF were busy performing operations every day from morning
until night. They expect to work for 10 days.
Three-year-old Lu Jing could not smile properly because the simple action
was too painful for him.
"I felt sorry for my son every time I saw other kids laughing happily. He
is so lovely but I could not afford the operation expenses," said Sun
Hongwei, a farm worker from Heilongjiang Province.
"Thank you, thank you ASF. You have brought such happiness to my boy,"
said the grateful mother.
Each operation costs around 8,000 yuan (US$1000) in Shenyang, according
to Zhang Xinli, the chief of the ENT (ear-nose-throat) department at
Shenyang Children Hospital.
That is far too expensive for local low-income families who are mainly
farmers and laid-off workers. For example, Sun said she earned about
2,000 yuan (US$250) a year from corn and other crops.
ASF will be coming back to China.
"They will come to Shenyang every April and September," said Liu from the
Red Cross, to comfort disappointed parents.
This is the third time ASF has come to Shenyang. After the first time in
May last year, it also went to South China's Fujian Province and East
China's Jiangxi Province.
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