LRS: Story of Xiao Song

Little Red Scarf is in Lanzhou, Gansu and Yunnan 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.

Picture (L): Xiao Song kept silence and was looking at us curiously.

Picture (R): Mr and Mrs Zhao were in hospital. They took group pictures with the family.  

Xiao Song with his mother

The first time I saw Xiao Song was in hospital on October 20. His father and relatives were busy for hospital admission procedures. Mr and Mrs Zhao were in hospital. They took group pictures with the family. Xiao Song kept silence and was looking at us curiously. Yun Yun recorded the first impression between Little Red Scarf and Xiao Song. 

The procedure of rural medical insurance had not been done for Xiao Song, but the director of cardiology department helped to admit Xiao Song for further examination. The family could complete the procedures meanwhile.

Xiao Song was weeping when hearing his father would leave, though his relatives would take care of him. His father decided to keep accompany to him and leave the next day for medical insurance procedures.

On October 21 when I visited another child, I gave Xiao Song bracelet and badge of LRS. He was looking me nervously. His relative who took care of him told me he is Yi ethnic minority and cannot understand mandarin. He must feel at loss in a new environment. 

On October 22, his father came back. He seemed tired and fell asleep when holding Xiao Song who seemed relaxed in his father’s arms.

Later, his father introduced the situation of the family. The family has 5 people. They are Xiao Song, his parents, younger brother and a grandmother. Xiao Song was diagnosed congenital heart disease in a village clinic when he was 2, but the family could not afford the medical treatment for him. Xiao Song’s mother and grandmother got serious arthritis and could not do field work.

The main income was from tobacco and corn from 10 mu of hill fields. It costs more to plant tobacco. Yunnan was hit by natural disasters as drought, flood and hail, so the harvest was poor. The expenses of the family were relied on loans which was supposed to input in farming. The harvest barely covered the loans, so the family had to borrow money to pay debts. They owed their relatives over 10,000 so far.

His father showed us their house which is a shabby shelter built by earth and woods. I am not sure how to describe the rooms. 4 bottles of soy sauce from the corner seemed the only furnishing of the family. 

Unfortunately, the examination results showed he got aorta overriding besides ventricular septal defect. To insure treatment effect, his operation was postponed to December. A foreign expert will do the operation for him. The family came back and will be waiting for the further news.

A few days ago, his father called expressed his gratitude to us. He also asked the operation schedule. I told him I would inform him if there’s any information about it. It is a plain father who hide his love for his son by hard working in the fields. I also look forward to the coming of December as the father. It will be the hope for Xiao Song and the family. I hope everything will be goes well for the operation.

To be continue...

Original blog written by Qianhua Liu, translated by Maggie Li and edited by Yanyan Zhang

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