In this post, we want you to hear straight from the families themselves.
We often write about the reasons why strengthening families is important. You’ve probably heard us say that strengthening families is the key to preventing children from ending up in orphanages. And that’s still true.
But here, we simply want to share these families’ own words with you. No fluff.
Each of these families are waiting for sponsors. Without full sponsorship, the help we can offer them is limited. As you read their stories, please consider stepping up to support one of these incredibly special families.
Straight from Rui Rui’s mama:
“When Rui Rui was born, the doctor told me [her mama] that she was small and weighed only 1900 grams. I took a quick look at her in the delivery room before she was sent to the hospital’s incubator. It was 14 days later when I finally saw her again. Maybe because she was too lightweight and her digestive system was not well, she often got sick.
As she grew older and compared with children of the same age, we found that the growth gap was significant. Even at one year old she couldn’t walk or talk. After various examinations in the hospital… she was diagnosed with comprehensive developmental delay and intellectual disability.
So… we began the long road to recovery. Now Rui Rui is 7 but looks like a 4 year old. Fortunately, with therapy, Rui Rui has made some progress. She had no language before but now she can at least call dad, mom and grandma. She can also use some simple actions to express her thoughts. In our eyes, she is getting better little by little, so everything is worth it.”
Rui Rui’s family still needs 1 more sponsor. Your monthly gift would help her and her family get the therapy, support, and resources they need to thrive as a family.
Straight from Tao Tao’s mama:
“Before my son turned 3, no one noticed he was different. Only that he couldn’t speak very well and we couldn’t hear what he said clearly, and we thought he was very small for his age. Eventually… our family discussed going to the hospital for some examinations at that time… He was diagnosed with developmental delay, so he started receiving therapy in [the hospital]. We kept taking him for a while, but it was so expensive, the hospital was too far away, and the family’s savings were getting used up. So, we suspended his therapy after family discussion.
Soon after that, we learned that a new therapy center opened nearby. I heard that it was very professional, so I took my son to consult the teachers there. The teacher there told me that my son must do therapy, otherwise his situation will get worse and worse in the future. The price of therapy in this center was much cheaper, so we decided to go for it…
It has been about a year now, and there are indeed some changes… We used to have to hold him everywhere we went. Now he can complete a simple painting independently, walk more steadily than before, and he can help me do some simple tasks. The progress has indeed been made, and our whole family is very happy.
Although the expenses are a big burden for a family like us, we will definitely persevere, and with the help of Hope Station, with your help, I am very confident.”
Tao Tao’s family still needs 2 more sponsors. Your monthly gift would help him and his family get the therapy, support, and resources they need to thrive as a family.
Straight from Zhen Fang’s dad:
“Because ZhenFang couldn’t breathe properly when she was first born, she developed brain damage. She didn’t start walking until she was two and a half years old. She now lives with developmental delays, ADHD, and epilepsy every day.
At school, ZhenFang’s performance is lowest among her classmates! It is difficult for her to concentrate on listening to the teacher in class, and she can’t hold a pen or write well. Also, she can’t walk well. We haven’t been able to take her for therapy because our financial situation is very difficult.
Her mother suffers from schizophrenia, so she can’t take care of ZhenFang at all. I am almost 50 years old and can’t get a formal job, so neither her mother nor I have a stable income. I am especially grateful to Hope Station and our sponsors for being willing to help us. ZhenFang is now able to go to the therapy center for professional therapy. This gives us so much hope and confidence!”
Zhen Fang’s family still needs 2 more sponsors. Your monthly gift would help her and her family get the therapy, support, and resources they need to thrive as a family.
Straight from JunXi’s mama:
“When JunXi was 2 years old, we realized he had some speech impediments, and he was extremely reluctant to speak, which clearly indicated autism. After some therapy, his autism symptoms improved. But since he was 7 months old, it was clear that his motor skills were very different from that of other children. When he was 3 years old, he was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy…
He has been receiving treatment and therapy in a hospital and therapy center since he was 2, so it’s been around 5 years now. His DMD diagnosis hit us quite hard. Sometimes, watching how cute, lively, and active he is, it’s hard to imagine that one day he won’t be able to walk anymore and that he will never live independently. Every time I think of this, I feel very sad.
Besides JunXi, I had another son. But sadly, because of a car accident, he had to leave us. I have never forgotten him, and I miss him very much. My two children have not been fortunate, and I couldn’t even do anything as their mother.
JunXi is receiving treatment… but there’s still a very long road ahead for his treatment. But what’s fortunate is just when I had nearly lost hope, I encountered help from a lot of good-hearted people, and now with your help too, I tell myself that I have to keep going.”
Jun Xi’s family still needs 2 more sponsors. Your monthly gift would help him and his family get the therapy, support, and resources they need to thrive as a family.
Straight from Xuan Xuan’s mama:
“I thought I would enjoy a happy life for a family of three, but I didn’t expect life to hit us so hard. When XuanXuan was born, they discovered she had a congenital optic nerve dysplasia syndrome, commonly known as “morning glory syndrome.”
The doctor said that this disease is very rare, the probability of this disease is about 1 in 10,000, and it is usually a single eye disease, but we are the unfortunate of the unfortunate, because Xuan Xuan has this disease in both eyes.
Now Xuan Xuan is completely blind, with no residual vision and no sense of light.
I am taking care of my child full-time, and Xuan Xuan’s father works and undertakes all the family’s living expenses. For the last three years, we have moved back and forth between three cities so that Xuan Xuan could get the opportunity of inclusive education.
I have been trying to accept the fact that Xuan Xuan cannot see. I’ve experienced despair, loss, rejection and evasion, and I have also faced it calmly, actively intervened, and accepted it completely, but sometimes, I would still imagine how it would be if my child’s eyesight were healthy.
Still, I am very grateful to everyone who has given us warmth in the past and in the future. With your help, I often feel that although life in front of us is black, it is not dark.”
Xuan Xuan’s family still needs 1 more sponsor. Your monthly gift would help her and her family get the education, support, and resources they need to thrive as a family.
Reading the monthly updates these brave families send to their sponsors is one of our favorite things. Thank you for honoring them by reading these words that are straight from the families.
