If you get the blog via email updates, you will need to go directly to the blog to see the video but please take the time. It's short and it will touch your heart.
We know that Kate was six months old when her parents left her at a hospital. In my heart, I believe that they had hoped to be the ones to raise her, but could not afford the surgery she needed. There is also the possibility that the doctors told them that there was no hope of repairing her heart. Truly, in China, there are few places that could have done the difficult surgery. It was considered an extremely complicated surgery even here in the US by the doctor who pioneered the procedure they originally had hoped to do. Her birth parents may have been told that nothing could be done.
After having her and loving her for six months, I can only imagine that they left the hospital without her, their own hearts broken in an attempt to save hers.
The part of the video that made me cry was watching the doctor talk about how he had to stop the child's heart to save it...and when he told the parents that there was always the risk that the child would not survive. Watching Kate being wheeled away in that little wagon to surgery, was definitely the lowest point for me. I was fearful that we would never see her again. At the end of the video, the Daddy holding his little girl in the air is certain to bring a tear to your eye...and watching the kids after surgery as they get to experience LIFE is something that leaves me speechless.
Several of my friends have been blogging today about the inequalities of life..why some have more and some have less. Not only financially, but, more importantly, why some are loved and some are not. I cannot answer any of those tough questions, but this I know. We who have love, are called to give it. We know there are children in this world who need to be loved. Once we know, we cannot turn away and pretend we don't hear their cries. They do not care about us providing a college education. They do not care about having expensive clothes or a huge house. They only want to have a family to belong to and someone to love them. It's easy to convince ourselves that all kids NEED what our culture has to offer in the way of luxury and use that as an excuse to leave the children in an orphanage. We may think we are too old or too tired (or too anything) but the truth is, God can use any of us, at any age to help orphans in their distress. It may not be easy, it may not be comfortable, but how many times in a lifetime do you get the opportunity to save a life? I know that not everyone is called to adopt, but there are many ways to help a child find a family. For some children, having surgery before adoption helps them find families--so giving financially to Love Without Boundaries or Children's Heart, is a great way to help. I also know that many of you have prayed and prayed for orphaned children and that is a wonderful way to help them. So thank you all for helping one little girl these past few weeks with your prayers...and if any of you are considering adoption but are fearful about money, your time, your stamina, etc., please know that God will meet your needs.
