Road to Care

Three weeks ago, a few other Rotaracters, Rotaract friends, and I visited an orphanage in Suzhou (a quaint city outside of Shanghai). The center is government-run, was established in 2005, and houses both the elderly and orphans. The elderly who live there either have no children to take care of them or their children cannot afford to do so. In terms of the orphans, there are approximately twelve; while a few are relatively healthy, most of them suffer from a mental disability or have cleft palates.


The facility's director gave us an introductory tour, from which I mainly learned:
1. During the daytime, there are three full-time staff members. At night, there are two.
2. The government reimburses all medical fees; however, we recently were told that, in order for the orphanage to receive reimbursement, the children must receive care at pre-approved hospitals.
3. The orphans are generally found in the streets. Recently, two infants were found frozen to death.
4. All the orphanages are government-run. The orphan must be sent to the orphanage that is located in the community in which he/she is found.
5. The orphans with cleft palates are generally adopted after undergoing facial reconstructive surgery. However, couples are willing to adopt them if the orphans already have surgeries approved. The staff kept commenting on how beautiful a recently adopted child has now become (after undergoing the surgery).


Based on the director's statements, it seemed like the children have everything they need. However, I still felt and feel that, although the basic needs of food and clothing are met, these children need more emotional and psychological support. Yes, the children with mental disabilities are limited in their everyday activities, but they certainly do not need to be confined to their beds. One girl, about 4 or 5 years old, cannot walk nor speak, but, from observing her facial expressions, I knew she could relate to what I was saying.

Each child needs more stimulation and individual attention. Thus, we hope to start a long-term project where at least one individual visits the orphanage every month. Another issue we hope to address regards a three-year-old girl who suffers from cerebral palsy. In addition to her mental condition, she also suffers from a digestive disorder that the doctors whom she has seen have been unable to diagnose. The main symptom she experiences is that her stomach literally bloats into a balloon whenever she eats (it does not matter the amount she consumes...the condition still materializes). No further action has been taken because the orphanage will not be reimbursed if she receives care from another hospital. Thus, we are working to learn the specifics and will hopefully come up with a collaborative solution.