Page 7 - 2013 Annual Report

MEDICAL True Second Chances Since the day our work in China began, providing essential medical care to children who are sick has been a driving passion of LWB. In 2013 we continued helping babies abandoned with critical medical issues. As the severity of birth defects in China increases, so does the complexity of our work. Many children now are born with multiple medical needs requiring a multi-faceted treatment plan. We are grateful for our continued strong partnerships with many of the top pediatric hospitals in China as we work to heal children with heart defects, cleft lip and palate, abdominal issues, and a wide variety of other medical needs. • 127 children received surgery in 2013 from 16 provinces and 37 orphanages. • When LWB first began in 2003, the cost of open heart surgery averaged just under $5,000. For a child with complex heart disease, the surgery cost 2013 has now risen to between $15,000 and $20,000. “It’s when we start • Thousands of babies born with birth defects are aban- working together that the doned each year, often when rural families are unable to afford the child’s medical care. real healing takes place.” David Hume • Of babies born with birth defects in China, 30 per- cent die before their 5th birthday. 7 LWB 2013 ANNUAL REPORT