Happy Valentine's Day everyone!
Earlier in the month I mentioned the blog address http://28daysofhearts.blogspot.com on Facebook. Harper and Talia will be featured on February 19th.
Please take a peek at this short video and share with anyone you know that might be interested in adopting a child with a heart condition. All of these precious children are heart warriors and once had no one to take care of them. Please continue to pray for the ones left behind and for families that are considering taking the plunge to adopt!
Harper at the end of the video says, "Dear God thank you for my heart surgery soon". It was a completely unprompted prayer. It just melted my heart to know she knows who is in control and sovereign. As we prepare for her heart surgery we remember that this surgery is a HUGE blessing and not something to be anxious over. Thank you all for your overflowing love and support. We do have a surgery date of April 11th at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
Congenital heart defects are the top killer of newborn babies in China due to high incidence and inadequate treatment. It is estimated that there are 300,000 babies born each year with a Congenital Heart Defect. Due to their one child policy there are likely thousands more births that are not reported. Out of the 300,000 births, only about 70,000 of those babies will ever receive medical attention for their congenital heart defects due to low awareness, limited medical resources and financial reasons. Thousands more are born still or will die shortly after birth due to lack of medical attention. While a simple scan to diagnosis CHD would cost roughly 100RMB the cost of a surgery to repair their child's defect could cost them more then 10 years of their household income. Many families do not have the financial resources to afford such surgeries. Families often make the difficult decision to abandon their baby in hopes that the orphanage will find the baby and help repair that child's heart defects. Unfortunately, that is not the story for many children. They will often be taken to the orphanage and will be scanned to confirm the congenital heart defect, but many still will not receive their life saving surgeries. Many will continue on palliative and hospice care while at the orphanage. Some of these children will be deemed inoperable or terminal. Without immediate medical treatment for the heart defects the child's lungs will be severely and irreparably damaged. These children will then become "paper ready" in hopes that a family will come forward to care for these medically fragile children. Here are the faces of the survivors, who against all odds continue to fight and win the battle of living with a Congenital Heart Defect.
Here are a few pictures from Valentine's Day!
