Transparent Fish Fund
  • Home
  • Projects
  • Track
  • Blog
  • How It Works
    • About Us
    • Annual Reports
    • Get Involved
    • Grant Application
    • Media
    • FAQs
    • Contact Us
  • Donate

LRS Care: Xiao Cui's Mother Yigai

8/11/2016

 
Little Red Scarf is in Lanzhou, Gansu, and Yunnan provinces. We provide financial support and encouragement to children suffering from congenital heart disease. In addition, we provide families with post-operative care and help the children sustain a healthy lifestyle.

Xiao Cui, Yigai’s daughter, is a 19-year-old girl with congenital heart disease and patent ductus arteriosus, which is a condition in which the ductus arteriosus, a vessel that circles around the lungs and which usually closes after birth, remains open. In third grade, a school-mandated physical examination revealed that she had congenital heart disease, but because her family was extremely poor, she went three years without receiving any treatment. Finally, with Little Red Scarf’s help, Xiao Cui underwent surgery at Kunming Hospital on July 15, 2016.
 
Yigai doesn’t understand Mandarin Chinese, and so our communication was all facilitated by Xiao Cui, who acted as our translator. The family is of the Wa ethnic group and resides in Lincang County, Yunnan Province. Yigai was married at age 18 and gave birth to three daughters in succession. A few years after Xiao Cui’s birth, her father fell ill and never recovered for three years until his death. That year, Yigai was only 28 years old.
 
Just like that, Yigai was left as a single mother residing in the mountains and caring for her three young daughters. They had nearly 10 acres of land, but the mountain soil was infertile and harvests were not plentiful. Every day for the last ten years has entailed the same familiar routine for Yigai: waking up at the crack of dawn to plant tea, tobacco, corn, and vegetables, and staying up late into the night.
 
Just like this, she slowly paid off debts accumulated for her husband’s medical treatment, all the while raising her three daughters into grown women. She never remarried, and the wrinkles on her forehead are a testament to her strong will and the resourcefulness and efficiency of her younger years.
 
Xiao Cui said that her mother has a fiery temper, but gets along with her daughters harmoniously. The family appears to be a group of four sisters, not a mother and her three daughters.
Picture
Picture
These few years, because of government policy, the family has received 2,816 RMB ($425 USD) per year for the second category of low income insurance and 1,000 RMB ($150 USD) per year as part of an effort to help Chinese citizens living near country borders. Combined with the 4,000 RMB ($600 USD) income from their crops, the family receives a total income of 7,775 RMB ($1,200 USD). However, there is only about 4,191 RMB ($630 USD) left after taking out various costs. This sum acts as a source of money for their daily life, and also to finance Xiao Cui’s city education.
 
Because of the family’s lack of wealth, the oldest and middle daughters dropped out of school after completing elementary school to help at home. Xiao Cui said that her sisters pity their mother and see how much work she must do, and so they chose to help with farming chores. Xiao Cui is the only one to continue her education at an occupational middle school.
 
Now, the oldest daughter is 23 years old, and the middle daughter is 21 years old; both are around the customary age to get married in the countryside. However, in order to take care of their mom and younger sister, they chose not to date.
​
Looking at Yigai’s three daughters, we could see some of the same facial characteristics that Yigia had when she was young; large, curious eyes, and general beauty. They are in the most beautiful years of their life, and no lack of wealth can strip them of their youthful allure.

Yigai, now 43, has grown weaker from half a lifetime of labor. She was struck with stomach and gynecological complications three years ago. She often experiences abdominal pain, vomiting, and over time became increasingly bedridden and unable to work. She now rents out their tea fields to other local farmers for the price of 1,000 RMB ($150 USD) per year. The tobacco fields have fallen to neglect, and the family now relies on the various help they can get from other farmers, meaning that they don’t have a fixed income. They have also become increasingly reliant on relatives.

Because of financial constraints, Yigai has never received proper medical examination and treatment. She said that she has chronic gastritis, and she only found out by diagnosing herself after hearing her relative describing the symptoms. Every time the disease flares up, elders from the village come to relieve the symptoms using magic spells. Xiao Cui said that at times the magic works, and at times it doesn’t.
 
When I asked what disease resulted in Xiao Cui’s father’s death, she said that she was too young at the time and doesn’t remember. Yigai said that she doesn’t know either, just like many other mountain folk who die without knowing what it is that killed them.
 
Little Red Scarf decided to fundraise $480 USD for this mother so that Yigai can quickly receive medical diagnosis and treatment. On the day that Xiao Cui was released from the hospital, we gave them the sum of money. Their life from here on out will not necessarily be much better than it currently is, but we hope that the family of four can suffer less and experience more joy. United, they have walked out of so much pain and suffering, and we hope that they continue to support each other for a long while.
Picture
Picture
The receipt written by Xiao Cui
Picture
Yigai received donation from LRS
Original article written by Qianhua, translated by Maggie Li, and edited by Yanyan Zhang and Carolyn D.

Comments are closed.

    TFISH FUND BLOG

    We update news and reports directly from the field written by our NGO partners daily.

    DONATE NOW

    Top Posts

    1. Winter Coats Distribution in Gansu
    2. Water Reservoir at Zhengjia Elementary
    3. Adonai Child Rehabilitation Mid-Year Grant Report
    4. Water Wells Project in Vietnam
    5. LRS Follow Up with Caiping

    PHOTOS & VIDEOS

    Picture

    IN THE NEWS

    • Little Red Scarf, Stanford Journal of Public Health
    • TFish Lab, China Weekly

    Categories

    All
    1001 Fontaines
    ACR
    Albinism Home
    Albinism Home
    Allianz Mission
    Anhui Farmers Cooperative
    Annual Report
    Awareness Event
    Bayshore
    Behcet Association
    Bird Home
    Bird Home
    BJ Behcet
    Blog Topic
    Blue Sky
    Bo'Ai Humanitarian Team
    Boya
    Burma Humanitarian Mission
    Caidie
    Changing Young Lives
    Changzhou Volunteers
    Chao Foundation
    Chengdu University Public Welfare Association
    Chengdu Volunteers
    Children On The Edge
    China Cal
    Clover Youth
    Daba Council
    Dandelion
    Design That Matters
    Dingxi Loving
    Disaster Relief
    DloHaiti
    D-Starine
    Du'an
    Due Diligence Visit
    East Villagers
    Event Recap
    Events
    Everydayheroes
    Fall Campaign 2014
    Fangzhou
    Field Visit
    Fundraiser
    Gansu Care
    Gansu Micro Loans
    Grant Report
    Green Olive
    Green Wind
    Heart To Heart Center
    Hefei Happy Childhood
    Helping Orphans Worldwide
    Hemophilia Home
    Henan Volunteers
    Heyue Free Library
    HIS Foundation
    HIS Foundation
    Home Of Chivalrous People
    Hongshan Street Disable Service Center
    Hope Volunteer Association
    ICC
    Intern Updates
    In The Community
    ISeek
    Jian’ai Art
    Jiaozuo Education Aid Association
    Jinshui Service Center
    Lanzhou Greenland
    Lianhu Thousands Love
    Light Of Love
    Little Bee
    Little Sapling
    Longwan Caring Home
    Longwan Home
    Longxing Public Welfare Association
    Loving Public Welfare Association
    LRS
    Lrs Care
    Lrs Summer Camp
    Lrs Surgery
    Magnolia
    Mianyang Public Welfare Forum
    Mianzhu Family
    Mianzhu Heart To Heart Charity Team
    Migrant Art School
    Migrant Art School
    Migrant School
    Mingda School
    Miscellaneous
    Mrs. Zhou
    Mulan Community Activity Center
    Myasthenia Gravis Care Association
    Nanjing Foster Service Center For Disabled People
    Nayong Loving
    Nayong Loving
    New Project Partnership
    Newsletter
    Okeefe
    One Heart World Wide
    Organizing Capacity Building Center
    Orphan Impact
    Overseas Volunteer Team Of Beijing University
    Panda Care
    Pok Oi Team
    Press
    Press Release
    Project Updates
    Rainbow Village
    Rcef
    Rural Experts
    Sahaya
    Sarta Volunteer Association
    SEAPC
    Senior Center
    Shanquan Youth Public Welfare Development Center
    Shenzhen Friendship Community Services Center
    Shenzhen Pengbo
    Simple Scholarships
    Soul Of Life
    Spine China
    Spring Center
    Star Hope Special Education
    Stepping Stones
    Taiwan Labor Concern
    Taiwan Prison Ministry
    Taiwan Root
    Testimonial
    Tfish China
    Tfish Events
    Tfish Fund
    Tfish Volunteers
    Thank You Letter
    Tianlai Speech Therapy Center
    Tribal Poverty Relief
    Vietnamese Christian Rehabilitation Ministry
    Vietnamese Laborers Ministry
    Vietnam Missions
    Volunteer Association Of Tai’an City
    Warm Love Home
    Wild Lily
    WTO
    Xi’an Heart To Heart Community Service Center
    Xi'an Volunteers
    Yangling Environment Protection Association
    Yichang Civil Public Students
    Yinfeng Loving Service Team
    Yongning Students
    Youth Social Responsibility Center
    Yu Disability
    Yunmeng Volunteers Association
    Yunnan
    Yunnan Care
    Yunnan Leprosy Village
    Yurun Micro Public Good Alliance
    ZOE

    Archives

    August 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    June 2011

    RSS Feed

© Copyright 2011. All rights reserved.
445 S San Antonio Rd Suite 204 Los Altos, CA 94022  | info@tfishfund.org | 501(c)(3) Tax ID: 45-2885139
  • Home
  • Projects
  • Track
  • Blog
  • How It Works
    • About Us
    • Annual Reports
    • Get Involved
    • Grant Application
    • Media
    • FAQs
    • Contact Us
  • Donate