Friday, April 04, 2008

Yuan, and Very Special Girl

When a team of LWB volunteers was in Henan last October, we met a very special little girl who had recently lost her family. Her name is Yuan, and some of you know her as the little girl who had the huge tumors on her face and who received one surgery in Shanghai during our medical mission there in November. Yuan has an incredibly sweet spirit, that just shines from her eyes, and she wants so much to have a family to love her forever.


Her facial tumors are quite severe, and our medical team wanted to provide her with the best care possible. To do this, we consulted with surgeons and physicians from several countries, and most agreed that Yuan most likely has Neurofibromatosis (NF), which is a disorder where children form multiple tumors (usually not malignant) on their skin, muscle, and bones. Sadly, there is no cure. Many children with this condition face the risk of isolation and extreme loneliness as they withdraw from a world which often cannot overlook such disfigurements. Already we have learned from our staff in China that Yuan wants so badly to go to school and play with friends, but it is very difficult for her to be accepted.


We truly believe that Yuan’s best chance at happiness is to find an adoptive family who will welcome her into their home and help show her that she is indeed a beautiful child with such a sweet and loving heart. We know her adoption placement might be difficult, but one thing is for certain….we believe in the amazing power of love. Her orphanage has agreed to file her adoption paperwork, which should be sent around June. We are asking you today to please keep Yuan in your prayers. We are all hoping that there is a family somewhere who will open their hearts to this child who simply wants to have a mom and dad to love her. If we learn that her paperwork has been accepted at the national level for adoption, we will post an update.