Another day, another email or two or twenty. To be sure, it was an elephant-load of promoting, organizing, rehearsing, reminding, printing, and of course, emailing. But for children suffering from congenital heart disease in rural China, I gladly pressed on. I’ve been a TFish intern for four years now. Over the years I have followed the stories of many of the Little Red Scarf children, like Hongyan, Jing Chuan, and Ting Ting. My sister put on a benefit concert for LRS a few years ago, and ever since I have been waiting to do the same, but with my own improved twist on it. The program would not be limited to classical music—instead, a mix of everything, from Bach to Bruno Mars to Simon and Garfunkel. And not just the typical piano and violin performances—we would have quartets, duos, piano, violin, viola, cello, guitar, ukulele, singing, and even beatboxing. And as if that wouldn’t be enticing enough, free bubble tea and giveaway prizes to boot. I wanted the audience to have as much as fun as the performers. The ideas and goals were set in motion, but there was so much more to prepare. I started planning two months before the actual concert, garnering support from the board members of TFish, putting together the program, and finding community sponsors. I couldn’t do it alone, of course, being only a lowly high school student with homework and APs to worry about. Mom helped immensely, driving me to all my destinations, and even my siblings helped by asking a few businesses for their support. The TFish board lent me Mr. Chan to speak at the fundraiser and Susanna volunteered to oversee the donation table. Foothill Covenant Church graciously allowed me to host the fundraiser in their sanctuary. Actually, when the concert was only a week away, I wasn’t sure if anyone would even show up! But to my surprise (and relief), over 90 people attended, and a friend even drove all the way from Dublin, CA. And in the midst of all the preparation, it was important to remember who I was really sending scores of emails for—the children in China. A benefit concert would be the perfect way to not only provide heart surgeries for them, but also to raise awareness of their needs among my friends and family. My musically-talented friends from orchestra, the SF Conservatory of Music, and my homeschool world all came together to perform. I have grown through the preparation of Noteworthy, my musical fundraiser. But even more important to me was the fact that five more children in China could receive new hearts, new life, and new hope! Despite the grueling work that went on behind the scenes, I would go through the entire process again, just for them. From my heart to theirs.
Little Red Scarf is in Lanzhou, Gansu province and provides financial support and encouragement to children suffering from congenital heart disease. In addition, they provide families with post-operative care and help the children sustain a healthy lifestyle. Maimai is a congenital heart disease child and in April 2011, with the help of Little Red Scarf, successfully completed the operation. Unfortunately, her mother also suffers from congenital heart disease. Because they missed the best timing of surgery it caused severe Pulmonary hypertension, leading to heart failure. This led to a serious problem in walking and hemoptysis. Medicine for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension is costly. Local doctors know that buyers are poor and can only afford cheap medicine. The doctor said: "The medicine is too expensive to treat this disease, so you can not afford it." In 2015, Mother's Day, Little Red Scarf’s US team raised money to help the family: Ellen Yuan $ 500, Henry & Lisa $ 800, Grandma Chu Fund $ 1050, RY $ 50, total $ 2,400 , Equivalent to 15,000 RMB. In 2016, DC donated $ 480 dollars, equivalent to 3,120 RMB, which continued to cover the cost of Maimai's mother's treatment.
We donated the money in three parts. In April 2015, we visited their family. The mother often needs to be hospitalized due to the serious illness. She cannot move or work. She thinks that she’s better dead than alive. We encouraged the mother to continue fighting. Her children are small and still need her. We must let them feel the warmth of home, and we also sent the 2,000 RMB subsidy to buy the cost of the hospitalization for the mother. In August 2015, Mai’s mother heard about the recent rapid development in medicine and perhaps even their own surgical opportunities. On August 12, we got Mai’s mother a free review with Dr. Tang and the University of Cardiology. When Dr. Tang saw the results of the final ultrasound, he regretfully said, “your body has not allowed you to surgery” and recommends “ to ease the symptoms of chest tightness and shortness of breath and, of course, to always see if there will be a change so she can do surgery. She should not give up just because of the results.” She replied, “I have to remain strong for my two children.”
Little Red Scarf bought Mai’s mother a portable oxygen machine and the treatment of pulmonary hypertension medicine, costed 3015.5 RMB.
Little Red Scarf is in Lanzhou, Gansu province and provides financial support and encouragement to children suffering from congenital heart disease. In addition, they provide families with post-operative care and help the children sustain a healthy lifestyle.   Thank you for your contribution: $ 220; Anonymous JW $ 70; James Ko $ 90; En-Yong Foundation $ 100 Total $ 480
Family Collection Voucher $480 equivalent to RMB 3,000. I hope the family can give Dongsheng a teeth checkup; the remaining money for the old couple themselves to see the disease. The dad often has headaches and severe dizziness symptoms; the mother has gallstones, but because the problem of medical expenses, she has not had surgery. We gave the donation in two parts. The first: On May 2015, the staff visited Dongsheng’s home to understand the actual situation of the family. The cash was in the form of 2,000 RMB to the family. The family, in order to express gratitude, got a brush to write a "thank you!" The second time: In early 2011, we gave the family 1000 RMB and hoped the family can have a good year. Physical condition: Dongsheng is 6 years old; the body is very good and can run or jump. He is in a large class. His kindergarten is only 3 km away from home; his father picks him up and takes in every morning and evening with a car. His teeth are now all black; his father took Dongsheng to the dental department to do a checkup. The doctor told them to pay more attention to oral hygiene. The teeth are fine for now since he is still a child. Little Red Scarf is in Lanzhou, Gansu province and provides financial support and encouragement to children suffering from congenital heart disease. In addition, they provide families with post-operative care and help the children sustain a healthy lifestyle.  Rui Rui and her brother received the donation from LRS. Many thanks to TL’s 2015 donation of $800 (5000 yuan), which helped fund Rui Rui’s 2016 medical expenses.
We gave Rui Rui and her older brother the donation when he came to Lanzhou in February 2015 for a doctor’s appointment. In 2016, after receiving the donation for Rui Rui, we got in touch with her, asking how to best deliver the money. Rui Rui’s father's advice was to give it to Rui Rui around the New Year when she would go to Lanzhou for a check-up, as it wouldn’t be convenient for them to travel into town. We are looking forward to seeing Rui Rui next month, because a year has passed since we last saw her. In May 2016, when Rui Rui’s older brother and sister-in-law went to Xinjiang to look for jobs, it occurred to them that having Rui Rui stay at home all day away from school might cause her anxiety, so with their parents' permission, he brought her with him to Xinjiang. This was Rui Rui’s first time travelling a considerable distance away from home, and she was brimming with expectations. Her brother said that as she sat on the train watching the world go by, he could see the love she has for life. Her brother has lived in the rented Urumqi room for a week, and Rui Rui has begun to worry, telling her brother she is anxious to find a job. Rui Rui’s brother took into account his sister’s physical limitations and found her a job waiting tables near their rented place in a small hot pot restaurant. The first month consists of the training and the internship, and wages are lower; during the second month you transition to independent work, and wages can rise to 2000 yuan or more. Little Red Scarf is in Lanzhou, Gansu province and provides financial support and encouragement to children suffering from congenital heart disease. In addition, they provide families with post-operative care and help the children sustain a healthy lifestyle.
 Yi Hong had a lot of fun at LRS Summer Camp. Special thanks to the loving people who donated $320 USD (about 2,000 RMB), which will be used for buying medicine for Yi Hong’s grandmother. The grandmother takes care of Yi Hong and his younger sister. She is 66 and in poor health.
LRS staff visited Yi Hong in September 2015, the year after he had his heart surgery. When we learned about the family's situation, we sent 2,000 RMB to them. In 2015 Yi Hong was 10 and was recovering well. The scar was also healing well. Yi Hong seldom caught colds anymore. He attended the summer camp held by LRS with his sister. The new semester began in September, and Yi Hong and his sister went to grade 2. This is their family's situation. Yi Hong’s father works in the city in order to pay off the debt as soon as possible. After a year of hard work, they paid 20,000 RMB. The house was paved, and they also built a new kitchen and walls. In the second half of the year, his father came to the construction site in Lanzhou. The harvest was not good, so his father hoped to earn more money in the city. Yi Hong and his sister lived with their grandmother, who had to take medicine all the time. His father hopes everyone in the family will be fine and that life will be better. When Yi Hong and his sister came back from summer camp, they could speak Mandarin to their father and grandmother. They had fun when the grandmother could not understand Mandarin. His father said the children changed a lot and became more obedient. His father said it is worth the hard work to see the two happy and healthy children. Thanks again for the care and donations for Yi Hong. Original article written by Aiju Chang, translated by Maggie Li, edited by Yanyan Zhang and Carolyn D. Little Red Scarf is in Lanzhou, Gansu province and provides financial support and encouragement to children suffering from congenital heart disease. In addition, they provide families with post-operative care and help the children sustain a healthy lifestyle.
Special thanks to PC who donated $160 USD to Bao Ping’s family in 2015 and to DC who donated $300 USD in 2016. The money will enable Bao Ping’s mother to take the medicine she needs for the year.
Bao Ping underwent heart surgery in 2011 with support from LRS. A year after the operation, he went to school when he was 16. In the autumn of 2015, LRS staff visited Bao Ping’s family. The villagers were busy with the harvest. We later learned that the elevation is not good for the crops. The locals can only grow barley and beans. The transportation is not convenient, so the villagers rarely travel to purchase agricultural products. Since 2011, the local government has launched a project that would move the villagers to a convenient place and solve the problems of healthcare, communication, education, and income generation. In 2012, the villagers began to move away. By 2015, there were more than 10 households still left. Bao Ping’s parents were in bad health and needed to take medicine. Life was still hard for them. We sent 1,000 RMB to help the parents buy medicine. Little Red Scarf is in Lanzhou, Gansu province and provides financial support and encouragement to children suffering from congenital heart disease. In addition, they provide families with post-operative care and help the children sustain a healthy lifestyle. We extend our appreciation to JTL, who donated $300 USD in 2016 and $800 USD in 2015 to support Honghong's family. We transferred the donated money to the family to help pay for Honghong's tuition and her family's living expenses. Post-Surgery Visit in 2014Honghong had her heart surgery with support from LRS in 2014. Her parents had poor living skills and had difficulty making a living, which kept the family in poverty. We had a post-surgery follow up with the family in March 2014. We learned that her father was doing some freelance simple labor work, earning about 5,000 RMB annually. Her mother stayed home to take care of Honghong's two younger brothers. We noticed the older little brother had trouble opening his right eye. We were told that he was born that way, and had never seen a doctor for this problem. Poverty Relief Care in 2015
We were very happy in July 2015, when we learned that Honghong was accepted into high school. While she studied in town, her shared rent, living costs, and school fees would be 10,000 RMB each year. For Honghong to get a high school diploma would be a great asset to help the family's income. Therefore, we entered Honghong's family into the Adopt a Family program to provide poverty relief for the family. Our faithful donor JTL made the full donation for Honghong and her family, so Honghong could get her high school education and help her family.
In order to support her family and two little brothers financially, Honghong decided to quit school and go to work at an factory. Little Red Scarf is in Lanzhou, Gansu province and provides financial support and encouragement to children suffering from congenital heart disease. In addition, they provide families with post-operative care and help the children sustain a healthy lifestyle.
Special thanks to Grandma Chu's Love Fund for donating $320 USD to Bao Lan, hoping she would increase her nutrition after the operation.
Bao Lan lives in a family with three members. Her father was born deaf and mentally disabled. Her mother is thin and small with bad health. The family didn't know she had congenital heart disease until she gave birth to Bao Lan in the hospital. The whole family just has 0.2 acres of fields. They grow fruits and vegetables for their own consumption. Her mother drives a donkey cart at scenic tourist sites to earn some money. Her father rows boats in the Yangzi river during public holidays. The income of the whole year is about 15,000 RMB. The family receives a minimum living allowance from the government. Bao Lan also receives a government subsidy for her serious disease, but she has no deposit during the beginning stage. So LRS accepted her family into the post-surgery care program for poverty relief. Bao Lan's Recent Developments After her surgery, Bao Lan rested for a year before going back to school. She is in grade 5 now. She attends PE and has grown much taller. Her scars have healed well. Her mother said they were not able to tutor her. Family Situation The new house has not been decorated, for it will cost a lot of money. The village resort has not been started. They live in 2 of the rooms. Her father is mentally disabled, so the family’s burden falls on her mother alone. All of their income was used to return loans. Her mother was thankful for loving people’s care. With help, their lives will become better. Original article written by Li Wang, translated by Maggie Li and edited by Yanyan Zhang and Carolyn D. Little Red Scarf is in Lanzhou, Gansu province and provides financial support and encouragement to children suffering from congenital heart disease. In addition, they provide families with post-operative care and help the children sustain a healthy lifestyle. Special thanks to Dean & Shwu-Hui Chang and Dr. Samuel So for donating $240 to support Cai Ping's domestic dream -- raising sheep and cattle. A year later, thanks to their support, Cai Ping’s dream has come to fruition! C36 Caiping: Caiping is a 2015 beneficiary of Little Red Scarf. The following information was exchanged over a phone call, in which we sought to understand Caiping’s current situation and the development of her project, which she described to us. Physical health: Caiping’s cough is still quite severe, and four days of intravenous therapy hasn’t improved her symptoms. She is now boiling 20 batches Chinese herbal medicine at home. The first half of the year had her feeling healthy, then sick, and the second half of the year has just been a repeat of the first. When Caiping went to Lanzhou in March to receive a heart examination, the doctor that she was not fully recovered. This was quite strange, as it has been three years since her operation, and doctors had previously told her that her recovery was going smoothly. I recommended that Cai Ping visit other hospitals and see if their prognoses differ. I also suggested that the she do a lung examination for her cough. Cai Ping’s husband felt back pain more often and over longer periods than last year. The couple’s poor health has meant that they can’t even farm all of their land. Of a total of eight acres of land, they rented out more than 7 acres, and work on the harvesting of 3 acres: 1 of potato, 1 of sesame, and 1 of corn. Potato is a staple for the family, as is sesame oil, so the cultivation of both crops is important to them. Corn is used to feed cattle, and flour, also a necessity, is purchased.
Little Red Scarf is in Lanzhou, Gansu province and provides financial support and encouragement to children suffering from congenital heart disease. In addition, they provide families with post-operative care and help the children sustain a healthy lifestyle.
Cuimei is four years old this year. She was wearing a beautiful skirt with a cute mushroom hair style when we saw her at the hospital. She was waiting in the hallway for admission into the hospital. Her father said, "My legs started trembling when I stepped into the hospital." With the help of Little Red Scarf, Cuimei was admitted to the hospital. The tests results showed there was a ventricular septal defect of 4mm. This means an interventional surgery could be started and surgical risks are therefore reduced. However, Cuimei's parents still worry constantly about her because their two other children passed away because of congenital heart disease.  Cuimei waited quietly for the nurses |
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