Do(ing) Something

Yesterday I learned of some disturbing news coming out of China. In response to a fire last month that killed 6 children in an unlicensed foster home/private orphanage, the government has begun directing children in some private run foster homes to be returned to the state orphanages. Several well-respected Western-affliated homes have been impact, resulting in children and babies who were receiving quality care, being returned to their home orphanages. The biggest impact is being felt in Lucy's home province of Henan, but so far her foster home has not been directed to return their children.

Having seen the need for families first hand, I am working through my personal version of how much is enough. I want to do more. At the same time, I've read blogs from other families who have done more and are feeling stretched to their limits. How much can any one person do? Clearly not enough to solve the problem. How much could a community do? Much more. Another blogger shared her thoughts here Do Something about families adopting children from China with heart defects. A group of them are sharing their stories. She's right. There are lots of good reasons for not adopting, but there are also hundreds of real live reasons to consider stretching beyond one's comfort zone.

An article published January 11 on a website called Beijing Shots, talks about the different attitudes towards adoption in China and the US. (I can't confirm, but suspect this website originates outside of mainland China, possibly Taiwan or Hong Kong, which might explain the uncomplimentary description of "the mainland".)

Under the mainland’s one-child policy, families that already have a child are banned from adopting an orphan. Many parents also abandon babies born with disabilities for another chance to have a healthy baby.

Professor Ai Xiaoming, a specialist in the welfare of children and women at Guangzhou’s Sun Yat-sen University, said a lack of respect for life on the mainland and the absence of a comprehensive social-welfare system would hinder the reform of orphan care, especially when many orphans were abandoned because of their disabilities.

“Life has never been respected in our totalitarian society. We should realise that adoption is an act of respect for life,” Ai said.

“In Western countries like the United States, local governments provide training courses for families who are planning to adopt disabled children.”

Ai also highlighted the free medical support in the US for children with disabilities, calling it a key reason why American families adopted hundreds of disabled baby girls from China every year.

“What the US has done is not brag about their achievements, but show a common value – respect for life,” she said.

I agree that the key difference is the cultural attitude towards human life. There are many ways each of us can make a difference in the life of another person. I hope you can find one new way to stretch just a little further and together we can make a bigger difference.