LRS Surgery: Xiejuan's Heart Surgery

1/19/2017

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.

September 4, 2016: The Long Awaited Phone Call

Finally, Xiejuan's father received the long awaited phone call from Dr. Liu, who invited Xiejuan to check in to the hospital the next day, because the specialist was on the way for her operation. It was arranged to have a specialist from Beijing to perform the surgery, due to Xiejuan's complicated heart condition. Her father felt great about the news; but on the other hand, he was nervous for the inevitable risks.

September 5, 2016: Xiejuan Warmly Welcomes LRS

We went to meet Xiejuan early in the day. "Xiao Hong Jin (Little Red Scalf)!" she yelled out, even before we arrived at the door. Obviously, our communication efforts paid off. She accepted us, and behaved upbeat.

September 11, 2016: Operation Day

The operation lasted eight hours. Xiejuan underwent a long operation, and her father endured tortuous waiting. We were all nervous until her father delivered the good news later in the day. The operation was successful, and she was transferred to the ICU for monitoring.

After a Week in the ICU

At the end of the monitoring process, Xiejuan was transferred to the general ward. Her condition was stable, but she was very weak. The recovery seemed very sluggish. We saw her father's bewildered eyes, and we were uneasy as well.

Two Days After Leaving the ICU

Xiejuan was still weak, and motionlessly leaned on a pillow.

September 22, 2016: IV Removed

We paid another visit to Xiejuan at the hospital. A nurse was removing her IV. It was a painful procedure, but we were surprised that Xiejuan, a nine year old kid, went through it without crying.

After the IV was removed, she dramatically changed her emotion and movement. She could sit up with ease while having the IV just in her arm.

Two Weeks After the Operation

We paid another visit to Xiejuan. We noticed that her personality turned more positive. When she looked at some pre-operation photos that we shot, she picked her favorite one with a big smile.

The same day, LRS delivered nutritious food and supplements for her speedy recovery.

We asked her father how he felt while waiting during Xiejuan's operation. He was choked up and murmured, "Scary, scary, better not to talk about it."

September 26, 2016: Xiejuan Released from Hospital

Xiejuan was released from the hospital. We took a photo of the happy father and daughter, who went through the ups and downs in the past few weeks. We wish them all the best. And we also thank all the loving people who worked behind the scenes and helped this required operation come true.

Original article written by Wang Li, translated by Kai Chao, edited by Carolyn D.