2010 Dec 03 Ping An Foster Home: Helping Kids in Desperate Need
This Sunday marks the return of The Beijinger 2010 Charity Super Quiz. Not only do you get to have a great time but the proceeds of the night go to a worthy cause. The Ping An Charity Foster Home is a local home for orphans with disabilities that works towards getting the children the surgery and care they need. Ping An has been a cause close to the Beijinger’s heart for the last five years.
On the eve of the quiz, we sat down with Teresa Woo, one of the founders of Ping An, to find out more about the charity’s work, the ups and downs of charity work, and how we can all help.
Can you give a little background on the Ping An Medical Foster Home and your work?
We are an interim home for orphans in China with medical issues. I began volunteering in a small orphanage in Hebei province eight years ago, and we often came across babies and children who were in need of intensive medical care. Together with a good friend who is also my mentor, Ms. Eulalia Andreasen, we founded Ping An Medical Foster Home in August 2003.
How has the charity grown and changed since it started?
We started the home in a small village close to Beijing airport area. Very soon we realized the distance and the village environment were not suitable for our purpose. We moved to the city in October 2004. Since then we have helped more than 240 children, and 80 percent of the children we have helped have been adopted by Chinese and international families.
Despite the fact that we can only accommodate eight children at any one time, we have not wanted to expand the number of beds. In fact, the longer we ran the place, the more we are sure we don’t want to expand it, for the following reasons:
- The kids don’t need to feel like they are in another “institution,” because they have all come to us from one. They need a family.
- It is hard to find stable and reliable caretakers. We are always short of caretakers.
- We have learned to define our mission clearly – to provide the best care we can afford for the kids while they are with us. The ultimate goal is adoption. We like to see all of them being adopted as early as possible. They are usually highly adoptable after surgery. However, the process is complicated and the situation varies from orphanage to orphanage. It also takes a long time to process the paperwork and get a match. In reality, there are some children who may never be adopted. We cannot keep the kids forever because we are not their legal guardians. For some children, the state-run orphanages may be their “homes” forever. It hurts more when they are “abandoned” the second time, especially when they are older and understand more.
What are some of most common defects and diseases that you see?
We help babies and kids with congenital heart diseases, cleft lips, cleft palates, imperforate anuses, club feet, orthopedic deformities, bladder extrophies, oesophagus obstructions, hypospadias, hernias, facial deformities and spina bifida. We also take care of premature and very sick babies.
What are some of the most rewarding and difficult aspects about your work at Ping An?
A happy moment is when we see a weak and sick baby getting better and stronger after it stays with us for a while. A moment of relief is when a baby comes home after a long and eventful stay in the hospital. Another rewarding aspect is that we have gained the trust and support from many of our supporters and volunteers in the community after seven years in operation. The happiest moment is when a kid is joining his/her new family forever. The most rewarding moment is when I hear and get photo updates from the adoptive families!
There are sad and difficult moments such as when a kid still dies despite all our efforts, or when a kid is getting older and still waiting for an adoption opportunity. Or there's an ayi crisis: There is a shortage of qualified caretakers all the time.
Aside from donating money, what else can people do to help out?
Meet and learn the needs of the orphaned children in China.
Although rare, we sometimes need a scholarship from a bilingual or international educational setting or an expatriate foster family that can provide a normal and loving family life for a child who has been successfully matched with a forever family and is waiting to join the family. This transition and preparation are very important. We saw the tremendous results in a few children when they were given the opportunity.
Share with friends about what you know and hear about the orphaned children in China. Encourage more families to adopt kids with special needs.
We can always find our ways to help when we care! This is the 6th Xmas that the Beijinger has helped our kids. I am truly grateful.
The Beijinger 2010 Charity Super Quiz. Sunday, December 5. 6pm. Hard Rock Café. RMB 50. All proceeds go to Ping An Foster Home. For more information, contact Lyn at 5820 7700 ext 855.
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