LRS Care: 4-Year Follow Up on July 2012 Patients

6/23/2016

Our staff is committed to staying in touch with LRS beneficiaries and their families, even years after the heart surgeries.

In July 2012 Little Red Scarf funded 10 children with congenital heart disease. After 4 years, we have been able to stay in touch with 8 of those families. (Two families have changed their phone numbers and can't be reached—Xue Juan's and Yong Run's.) One family in particular has a father who has been seriously ill for 2 years, resulting in significant poverty.

1) Jia Wang

Jia Wang is almost 6 years old and will be going to elementary school in August. He is a very naughty boy with a good appetite, but he does not gain much weight. His father works at construction sites. Each year he leaves home to work in April and comes back in November. He earned about 30,000 RMB ($4,600 USD) last year. Jia Wang's mother stays with the two children in the city for school. They spend 20,000 RMB ($3,000 USD) a year on living expenses, including rent. Work this year has not been as good as last year. Sometimes several days go by without work opportunities. However, at least everyone in the family is healthy now. It is a great relief that the family does not have to spend as much on medical expenses anymore.

2) Xin Qi

Xin Qi is almost 7 years old and is in 1st grade this year. His grades are about average. Both Xin Qi and his mother suffer from cleft palates. After Xin Qi completed congenital heart surgery, both he and his mother had cleft palate repair surgery. Now they are able to drink and eat without choking; however their words still not clear. When Xin Qi's teacher asks him questions, he is not able to answer clearly, so no one understands him. After a few tries, he usually gives up and refuses to say anything else.

Xin Qi's father used to work as a gas tank deliverer; now he is a taxi driver. The family has mortgaged a house that has a property of less than 40 square meters. His father said some time ago they came across some papers from Little Red Scarf when they were moving, and he started talking with his wife and child about Little Red Scarf. It was just a coincidence that he received our phone call. Xin Qi's father said we are very welcome to visit their new house.

3) Xiao Jia

Xiao Jia is 7 years old and is in kindergarten. She will be going to 1st grade this August. Xiao Jia is doing quite well after her surgery.

Her parents opened an oil pressing business in town. Their business is doing well with an annual income of 20,000–30,000 RMB ($3,000–$4,600 USD) a year. This way her father does not have to work outside the home and Xiao Jia can be taken care of.

4) Xiao Xing

We were unable to contact Xiao Xing's family because their telephone line is not working. They left a neighbor's phone number so we called them instead. Their neighbor said Xiao Xing is in good health but has dropped out of school. The neighbor is not sure what Xiao Xing is doing now. Xiao Xing's father is in poor health.

5) Yu Jiao

Yu Jiao is in kindergarten and lives with her mother. Yu Jiao's parents were divorced when she was 2 years old. Her mother has changed their phone number twice, so we were unable to connect with her. We talked to her father instead. Her father occasionally visits her and said Yu Jiao is doing well.

6) Za Xiu

Za Xiu is 7 years old; however, her IQ is not as good as her 5-year-old sister's. She has stayed in kindergarten for two years and will be going into 1st grade this August.

Za Xiu does not know much, which made her father very worried. Her father said Za Xiu has a good appetite, but she has not grown much in height or weight. She is very active, always running around. She does not participate in activities in kindergarten because she is unable to learn.

The family rents a place in town so Za Xiu can attend kindergarten. She is looked after by her grandparents. There are three children in the family; Za Xiu has 2 younger sisters. The youngest sister is less than 2 years old. Both parents do odd jobs near their old home. We suggested it is better to let the children stay at the original home. Although the quality of education is better in town, it is not suitable for children like Za Xiu. It would be more beneficial if Za Xiu's parents could spend more time with her and offer more help.

7) Xiao Dong

Xiao Dong is 7 years old and is in 1st grade. His family rents a house in town which costs 1,000 RMB ($150 USD) a semester. Xiao Dong's father usually works outside the home, and goes back home once a year. Xiao Dong's health has improved a lot after surgery. He is able to play with other children without much difference between them.

8) Xiao Lin

Xiao Lin is 7 years old and is going into 1st grade. He is in good health. His sister is in 3rd grade. His father said they built a house two years after Xiao Lin's surgery. However, he got very sick during those two years and was unable to work outside the home. His major symptoms were fatigue, fever, and cold sweats. When he was agitated, he felt weak with tingling in his extremities, almost like a shock. He has already spent 20,000 RMB ($3,000 USD) on medicine, but his symptoms have remained the same. Now they do not have any money left so the family is relying on a subsistence allowance of 1,500 RMB ($230 USD) a season for two people.

His younger son is 6 years old but did not attend kindergarten because of the lack of money. The father is hoping to borrow some money and go to Lanzhou for further examination. Because he is not well educated, he does not know where to go for a medical examination. He said it would be great if we could help him find out where to go, and if possible to also help him with translation so the doctor could understand him. We learned more about his symptoms. He also took down our phone number. We told him to contact us when he arrived in Lanzhou and we would be glad to help him.

Original article written by Guan Ying, translated by Cindy and Shawn Chung, edited by Carolyn D.