Liang Liang 12/95 – We’ve known Liang Liang since 1999 and we are happy to be able to have him with us now. He was born with cerebral palsy but is able to walk. He is also normal mentally. These two things, plus the intervention of Migyeong, enable him to be able to attend and complete elementary school near the orphanage. He is now in the seventh grade and doing well academically while living with a foster family in the community. He often spends part of his vacations from school with us along with his buddy, Lu Ping. They enjoy the advantages of a “normal” home like watching dvd’s and feeding the goldfish as well as going out to play on the playground. We hope to see Liang Liang complete a college education or learn a trade and get a good job some day. |
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Lu Ping 3/96 Lu Ping was one of our original kids in 1999. In 2003, he was taken to the USA for surgery in Florida. He was born with spina bifida which resulted in him being incontinent. Although he has no feeling below the waist, he can walk! He is a bright boy who is in the seventh grade in the public middle school in the small town near the orphanage. He is living with a foster family in the community and enjoying family life very much. He has a great sense of humor and loves to joke with everyone! I guess that’s why he enjoys cartoons so much.
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| Hua Che 9/24/90 – Hua Che is a very happy and outgoing boy who loves almost everybody. He is one of the slowest, mentally, among the youth but his cheery attitude takes him a long way. He is always one of the first to greet visitors. |
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Fei Yang 3/18/90 – Fei Yang has befriended one of the younger kids who came from the Children’s building for class during the week and now lives with the youth. He watches over him and pays great attention to what he is saying. He is very loving and one of the first to demand a hug from visitors. He is a very handsome boy except for his teeth that need some attention. They don’t seem to bother him as he always has a huge smile on his face! |
| Cao Wu 7/1/76 – Cao Wu is our “elder statesman” among the youth. When he came to us, he had several bad habits such as smoking cigarettes and fighting if something didn’t agree with him. He has been successful in eliminating all of his bad habits and is ALMOST a model citizen. He can still get aggravated with some of the more rowdy kids but can control his emotions. He loves to play “pick up sticks” and help with any chore asked of him. Recently, with the help of the teacher, he and some of the older boys drilled holes in PVC with an electric drill in preparation of a construction game we all enjoy playing. He has a huge heart for people and cried like a baby when one of the teams was leaving last summer. He is mentally slow but shows promise of being able to learn some skills given the opportunity. He has downs syndrome. |
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Chun Fang 12/14/92 - When Chun Fang came to us, he “signed” as if he couldn’t hear or speak. Later, he stopped that, for the most part, and only does it if he is feeling insecure for some reason. He is naturally very athletic and really shines when allowed to go outside and shoot baskets or something else athletic. He is one of the slowest mentally but also one of the sweetest. He is naturally drawn to the pretty girls among the weekend visitors and loves to spend time with them. |
| Dong Dong 1/92 – Dong Dong has been part of our family since 1999 except for small spaces in time when we were not at the orphanage. He was born with a very spastic form of cerebral palsy that makes him very stiff. Because of his stiffness, he always looks as if he is doing pushups and is thus unable to get around by himself. He is the main one for which the gait-trainers were purchased and the first to gain independence by using it. His feet are deformed, making it difficult for him to wear shoes but they were necessary if he was to be able to move using the gait-trainer. Buying shoes that were too big and cutting them up to fit his feet and then holding them on with Velcro solved the problem to a point. Living on the third floor with not much room has limited his use of the gait-trainer but we are in hopes of obtaining a larger and more “user friendly” building in the future. He LOVES dogs and always asks about one that visited the orphanage a couple of times. He has a great attitude! |
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Li Shou Yue 7/1/85 Li Shou Yue is a tall, beautiful girl who could pass for normal, mentally, until some stressful situation arises. She is always chosen to learn the dances that are used to entertain our visitors on special occasions such as Christmas and has been a part of the group that has been invited to entertain for various groups and even on TV! She also enjoys singing and is very good at making macramé bracelets and necklaces. |
| Xie Wen Lu 5/8/86 – Wen Lu is one of our deaf youth and the only one of the girls who is too profoundly deaf to benefit from hearing aide. She is a natural artist and can reproduce just about any illustration from a book rapidly and accurately. She is a loner who prefers her own company. She has parents who are also deaf and she goes to visit with them during holidays but is always happy to get back to her “home” at the orphanage. She is mentally retarded as well as deaf and might be autistic. |
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Bai Xue 94 – Bai Xue came to us in 2006 and has parents but their divorce left her living with her father and grandmother. She is able to read and write some Chinese characters and is good at macramé-ing bracelets and necklaces. She is a very sweet girl who demands attention, usually in a positive way. She has fit into living with the other girls very well and they seem to enjoy having her around. |
| Zhong Rong 89 – Zhong Rong is a very sweet and outgoing young lady. She is always included with the dancers and is a leader among the girls. She lived with adopted parents since she was a baby. Her adopted mother has a speech impediment which she seemed to pass on to Zhong Rong. Zhrong Rong is also a little hard of hearing. She is very adept at making macramé bracelets and necklaces. |
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Shen Jia 3/80 – Shen Jia is a sweet and pretty girl who is deaf but wearing hearing aids and learning to speak. She is normal mentally and only retarded in that she has had little education or training prior to coming to us. She is an accomplished cross-stitcher and generally good with her hands and in doing crafts of every kind. We are confident that she can have a life outside of the institution eventually. She is an important member of the dance group and quickly memorizes the steps. She tends to be depressed on a regular basis and withdraws from activities and refuses to eat during those times. |
| Li Xiao Ping 7/1/77 Xiao Ping is one of the older “youth” and a guy who can have his feelings hurt easily and get into a dark mood. He seems to stay on an even keel better when he is busy with some task. He is proud of his accomplishments and needs to be kept occupied to be happy. One of his favorite things is cleaning! He does a wonderful job in the lunch room after meals. He appears to be micro-cephalic. Recently, an American friend sent him a harmonica and he is rarely without it! |
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Wang Bin 3/5/82 Wang Bin was chosen by me to help Dong Dong use his gait-trainer last year. Wang Bin is very outgoing and can figure things out. He has a speech impediment that makes him appear more retarded than he is. While working with the gait-trainer, the mechanisms were reversed to allow Dong Dong to reach his desk. Even though this change was made without Wang Bin being present, he perceived the change immediately the next time he came to help Dong Dong! Wang Bin taught me the importance of having a purpose in life. He was proud of his responsibility in helping and has since sought jobs that would increase his sense of responsibility. |
| Ma Bing 1/5/90 Ma Bing is one of our original group from 1999. He is the only one who would pet a small puppy that was brought to the orphanage during those early days. The rest of the kids were scared of it! He lived with his grandmother prior to coming to the orphanage. He has cerebral palsy and is unable to walk. His right arm is also affected and not very useful to him. His friend in the States is sending him something for his wheelchair that will make it possible for him to move forward using only his left arm. He still loves dogs and was excited when one came to the third floor for a visit. |
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Hua Wang 9/24/ Hua Wang is a deaf boy whose age places him somewhere between the little kids in the Children’s building and the youth. Unlike the other deaf orphans in our care, it is very difficult to communicate with Hua Wang and this results in misunderstandings and discipline problems. He came to us with very bad habits like spitting on the floor and hitting others. He has stopped these behaviors but is still an aggravation at times. I suspect that he has learned to get attention, although negative, through the manipulation of the adults in his life. He’s cute but a challenge! He lives with the youth now. |
| Lu Yin Nan 1/10/84 Yin Nan is the oldest girl among the youth and also one of the slowest mentally. She is also my favorite because of her outgoing personality and cheerful disposition. When things get too complicated for her, she just sits back and waits until she can join in again. She enjoys outdoor activities like going to the Botanic Garden in Shenyang. |
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Li Li 6/7/88 Li Li is a smart and pretty girl who has rheumatoid arthritis which confines her to a wheelchair except when she’s sleeping. In spite of her crippling disease, she can play the keyboard and do beautiful cross stitch pieces. She was in quite a bit of pain when she came to live with the youth, but through medication from a friend in the States, she is now pain free. Like any teenage girl, she is very particular about her appearance and loves to have her hair done up in special ways. |
| Hua Jing 3/7/91 Hua Jing is a beautiful girl who is deaf but has been fitted with a quality hearing aid and is learning to speak. She is normal mentally and a big help to everybody. If she can learn a skill, she is able and willing to teach the other youth. She has a playful personality and likes to sneak up on people and surprise them. I believe that she has a future that includes living a normal life outside of the institution. Even though she is deaf, she is aware of everything around her. She is excellent in making macramé bracelets, belts and necklaces and just about any craft. |
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Fang Yu 10/94 Fang Yu is a precious girl who we’ve known since 1999. She couldn’t walk because of severe cerebral palsy but through sheer determination, she can today, although with difficulty. She uses a walker for walking any distance. She is brighter than some of the other youth and is willing to help them when she can. She is always smiling although she often cried when she was younger. Hugs are some of her favorite expressions of affection! |
| Lina 5/2/86 - Lina came to us in the fall of 2006. She has fitted in well with the other girls among the youth. She is very outgoing and particularly likes to have her picture taken with the handsome student visitors on the weekend. We believe that she will be able to live in the community and have a normal life one of these days. She is one of the higher functioning youth. |
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Wen Yang 7/16/96 – At first, we thought that Wen Yang had downs syndrome but a visiting therapist suggested that fetal alcohol syndrome was more likely the correct diagnosis. He is a very sweet and loving boy who attends class with the youth and now lives with them. He is a favorite among the visitors on the weekends. He is interested in many things and has even investigated the digital camera of one of the visitors! He is able to eat by himself and take care of his personal needs but is mentally retarded. |
| Chen Xu This is a new boy to our group of youth. He is intelligent and very outgoing. |
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Shen Yong This is a new boy to our group of youth. He is very sweet and loveable and LOVES to have his picture taken. |
| Wang Na This is a new girl to our group of youth. She is eleven years old in 2008 and is autistic. |
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Mei Mei MeiMei is new to our group of youth. She is on the very lower limit of intelligence needed to go to public school and the orphanage has decided that she would benefit more from being in our youth group than trying to continue in school where she was being picked on by the other children. She is 16 and a prime candidate to move into the city and help in the “Dream Home” shop. |
| Fu Hu (Lao Hu) We’ve known “Lao Hu” since the start of our work at the orphanage in 1999. Since he was always so well behaved, he was my companion on outings so that I could do my main job as photographer. He had a bad experience while at the hospital when he was young resulting in aggressive behavior that forced us to not accept him at first as part of the “youth” group. He recently rejoined us and has been like the “old” Lao Hu since! |
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