UNIT 20 Disability

Disabled orphans find new home

They all call Yang Jingxiong "father" because it is he who has brought them happiness.

The children are all orphans - most of them are handicapped - abandoned by their parents and adopted by their new father.

Yang established the children's centre to help orphans after his daughter was in an accident 14 years ago, an accident that destroyed his peaceful family life.

Before then, Yang and his wife worked in a local university in Yantai, a coastal city in East China's Shandong Province.

In 1986, their lovely little daughter, Xiaoxue fell to the ground from a bicycle and suffered serious brain damage. She was only 20 months old at the time.

Over the next four years, Yang and his wife travelled everywhere in the country seeking a cure for their daughter.

But they failed. Their daughter, who is now 16-years-old, is still in a wheelchair.

The couple have suffered a great deal of pain since their daughter's accident. Thinking of their poor daughter, they often cannot hold back their tears.

"For most disabled people, there is a chance that their condition can be cured during infancy. But for various reasons, such as ignorance, parents exhaust all their money without improving their child's condition," Yang said. "As a result, they lose hope."

To help disabled children like Xiaoxue, Yang and his wife decided to set up a healing centre.

He named the centre "sunflower" because he says that all those who give support to the centre are suns, bringing hope and joy to the handicapped children.

Things did not go as smoothly as the Yangs had hoped. Where was the money to come from and where would the site for the healing centre be?

"But once I had made up my mind, I was determined to pursue my goal forever no matter what kind of difficulty lay ahead," Yang said.

His efforts paid off at last.

On June 26, 1996, with the approval of the Yantai city government and the Laishan district government, Yang received 3.33 hectares of land near the coast to the southeast of Yantai University.

In spring 1997, Yang built his first bungalow on the site and a larger building for the children.

"The establishment of the centre owes everything to the help we have received from many warm-hearted people," said Yang.

Brent Johnson from the United States has been one of Yang's most important fund-raisers. Johnson learned of the Yantai Sunflower Children's Centre on the Internet. After a visit to the centre, Johnson returned to the United States and began to raise money. What he raised was enough to cover most of Yang's costs.

Yang also attributes the birth of the centre to China's rapid social development. Improved economic conditions and increasing social sympathy towards disabled people have meant that the centre has had many supporters in China, Yang said.

The centre opened in 1998.

At present, there are 21 orphans being cared for free of charge, despite the fact that some of its facilities are still in the preparatory stages.

Yang is trying to raise more funds to enlarge the centre to house more children.

Yang originally planned to give treatment to children who have parents. It would then have been possible to charge the families a monthly tuition and care fee.

However, at the request of the donors, he turned his focus to orphans, who need care the most and have no one to pay the fees for them.

The centre has become a real home for the orphans.

Le Xiaoyu, who was thrown into the snow by her parents after she was born, suffered from an infected navel and was near death. After an emergency operation in a local hospital and several months care in the centre the child is now very healthy.

Le Xiaohua was born prematurely and weighed less than 1.5 kilograms at birth. Now, after half a year in the centre, she is a lovely, healthy baby.

Le Haolun was born without a neck and has difficulties turning his head. Following patient instructions, he has learnt to deal with his disability.

The centre's staff are young, average age is 20.

"Taking care of handicapped children is not an easy thing to do. Only those who love the children are strong enough to stick to the job," Yang said. "I am really proud of my staff.

"Although the centre is still small, we are working hard to ensure that the quality of care is the best in China. We will live up to people's expectations and use our resources properly," Yang said.

"The children centre's doors will always be open to welcome all friends who want to visit and help us. As the home of the children, the centre will continue to improve and will be full of happiness and love," he added.

Yang hopes the centre will eventually have its own high buildings, sound healing facilities and a rational organization. It is expected to be one of the largest and best healing centres for handicapped children in Shandong Province.