Page 8 - 2013 Annual Report

FOCUS ON LWB’S MEDICAL PROGRAM’S UNITY FUND LWB’s Unity Fund provides assistance to im- poverished families who cannot afford medical treatment for their children. Many rural families are unable to financially provide the surgeries their children require, and in desperation some choose abandonment as a way to hopefully get their child the help he or she needs. We are honored to work with these families to provide medical care for the children they love and to help keep families intact. 24 rural children received surgery through our Unity Fund in 2013. From a grateful father: In December of 2012, DaLang, my son, came to this world. I was so happy. I named him “Langlang” in hope he would be happy and extroverted, and in hope he will have a smooth life. I thought life would be happy from then on. But Langlang was found to have severe heart disease when he was three months old. Doctors in Guiyang told me only big hospitals in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou could fix it, but that it would cost a lot of money. I am a tough person but could not help crying. We tried all means to ask for help. We had to borrow money from relatives and friends. We finally knew that we would never be able to raise all the funds. Finally we went to Shanghai. The diagnosis was still complicated congenital heart disease. The doctor said he needed a few stages of surgeries, and that just the first stage would be 70 to 80 thousand rmb! Someone told us we should give up, and we even thought of it. But each time when I put him on the bed, Langlang would cling to my clothing tightly. He is such a good boy. Langlang is only six months old. He is so smart and has brought us so much joy. But he Almost 100 million is getting more and more sick. He turns blue all the time. He is very weak. families in China Life should be respected. We do not have the right to give up on his life. We brought still live on less him to this world, and we should give him the right to live. But reality is cruel. We are than $2 a day migrant workers with limited ability. We feel so helpless and know how precious life is. We will never give up on our son. But we do not know how to make it through. Though we have never met, we appreciate your help to save the life of Langlang and bring hope to us. We will never forget your life saving help. LWB 2013 ANNUAL REPORT 8