On a cold winter in 2014, onlookers gathered around a baby boy wrapped in blankets and abandoned on the side of the road. The only signs that he was once loved and cared for were the blanket he was wrapped in, some clothes, and milk powder. Those passing by shook their heads. “It’s too cold. Poor child.” As though impervious to the cold and crowd that’s gathered around him, the baby boy stayed fast asleep.
The baby was taken to the local welfare institution in town and named Dongdong, the Chinese for Winter, after the cold day he was discovered on. After a close examination by the staff it was determined that Dongdong was approximately just five days old. Born with a cleft palate and bilateral clubfeet, Dongdong would eventually require surgery.
Dongdong was soon admitted into the Chunhui Infant Nurture program in the local welfare institution and was assigned to his first Chunhui Mama, Wu Yijuan.
Wu Yijuan (“Mama Wu”) had cared for many babies and her heart ached when she first saw little Dongdong wrapped in thick clothes. Mama Wu held Dongdong close and the two soon established a close bond.
Although Dongdong was getting better, he was still underweight. At 13 months he weighed just 11 pounds – about half the weight of a healthy baby his age. He was placed in the Chunhui Family Program which recruits local married couples who have received the proper special needs training to become foster parents. There he met his second mom, Chen Yanqing (Mama Chen).
Looking into the eyes of her tiny new foster son, Mama Chen feared that she had taken on more than she could handle. At times her grueling schedule made her consider quitting, but she had already fallen in love with her kids and couldn’t leave them.
At home Mama Chen did her best to give Dongdong as much support as he needed. She gave him a special chair to help him practice sitting up and made him nutritious foods to help him get better. By his second birthday, he had finally reached normal weight and was ready to undergo surgery for his club feet and cleft palate.
When Dongdong arrived at Chunhui Care Home he was trusted to the care of Yan Weimin, Mama Yan. She gave him the emotional support and encouragement he needed and helped boost his sense of confidence. Mama Yan accompanied him to the hospital where his doctor placed orthopedic casts on his legs.
Following his clubfoot treatments, Dongdong underwent successful cleft palate surgery before returning to Chunhui Care Home to recuperate. He loves spending time with Mama Yan.
15 months after his arrival at Chunhui Care Home, Dongdong had finally recuperated enough to return to the welfare institution. “When I walk, I don’t trip over!”, he’d say with pride. When the Chunhui Family Mentor Zeng Feiling saw Dongdong she was thrilled to see that he was “a totally different boy. Chunhui Care Home really created a miracle!”
Dongdong has also become more independent in his day-to-day activities. He is able to eat and dress himself.
In 2018 Dongdong’s life took another change for the better; a loving couple from Spain have adopted Dongdong and brought him back to Europe. Looking back on Dongdong’s journey which started from the cold streets, to the orphanage’s nursery to the loving Chunhui family, to the miraculous Chunhui Care Home, and finally to his new home 10,000 miles away, it is with the love and care of his Chunhui Mamas who gave the frail and silent little baby a chance at a new life and to become the joyful, energetic child that he is today.
Chunhui Children’s Foundation
Chunhui Children was registered in Beijing in 2012 and granted public fundraising status in 2017. They recruit front-line caregivers and teachers and train them to provide consistent family-like love and science-based, child-centered education for orphaned children in welfare institutions and for children left behind by migrant parents in rural areas. In 2015, Chunhui Children received a 5A social organization status and was awarded the title of “Pioneer Social Organization” for 2015-2017. Chunhui Children currently runs three core programs for children in welfare institutions and left-behind children in rural areas – Chunhui Mama, Chunhui Care Home, and Chunhui Village.
Chunhui Children is now operating programs in 105 Children Welfare Institutions of 31 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions, and cooperating with 65 percent of Children Welfare Institutions in China. To date, more than 180,000 children lacking family love have benefited from Chunhui programs — more than 150,000 orphaned children benefited from Chunhui Mama, 20,715 left-behind children benefited from Chunhui Village, and 2,777 children with severe diseases benefited from Chunhui Care Home.
2019 Chunhui Night
This year’s Chunhui Night Gala will be held on November 9 at China World Hotel. All donations received at the Gala will be used to fund Chunhui programs. Tickets are RMB 9,200 per person, enough to support a child at Chunhui for an entire year. To RSVP, please email event@chbaf.org.
November 9 at China World Hotel
From 5:30pm – 9:00pm, Level 1 Conference Hall, China World Hotel, Beijing, No. 1 Jianguomenwai Avenue, Chaoyang District, RSVP Contact: event@chbaf.org
Dress Code: Formal or Evening dress
Photos: Provided by Chunhui, unsplash
