Red Thread Volunteer Trip

Foster Centers

2011-10-28T09:52:00.000-07:00

Lots of the children who belong to the orphanage live in foster homes in the surrounding area. There are several clusters of families in the same neighborhood. Last year, Dongnan Li set up 3 different therapy centers where the families can come daily to meet, talk and help their children. Red Thread Charities has provided therapy equipment like therapy balls, headphones for music therapy, mats and a variety of fun toys for each center. We toured each of the facilities and it sure looks like a big hit with all of the proud families! It was really fun to interact with the kids!

Dumplings!

2011-10-20T20:50:00.000-07:00

Well, yesterday was an amazing experience for our school age kids, Quin, Samantha, Eloise, Paige and Jack. They got to make homemade dumplings with kids who live at the orphanage. Seriously! This was as cute as it gets! It amazes me that some of these children from the orphanage still are not matched. They are typical kids with a variety of special needs. But today they got to work as a team to chop vegetables, mix up the pork, roll out dough, use chopsticks to add the filling and make pretty symmetrical little dumplings! But kids will be kids and a it did not end without digressing into a fun and naughty food fight. Everyone had a blast!

Face to Face: A Look at Autism

2011-10-18T19:14:00.000-07:00

Autism is a relatively new diagnosis in China. After the Hangzhou delegation was able to tour the therapy centers in the US, they told us they had around 6-7 children at the orphanage who they suspected had Autism. Anne Harrington, autism specialist from Mpls is one of our volunteers. We knew she would be able to diagnose and help some families in China. Here is what Anne demonstrated:

A foster mother told us that her child doesn’t talk much at all., nor does he interact with others and prefers to be by himself with a single toy. Anne asked if he ever asks for something he wants such as food. Foster mom said, “No. He just brings my hand to the object he wants.” Children with autism have difficulty interacting socially and prefer to focus their attention on an object rather than a person. Often they lack verbal abilities. If a child with autism, for instance, wants a sucker unwrapped, he will place the sucker in the caregiver’s hand and stare at the hand rather than interact face to face. The goal is to increase social skills by enticing the child to ask for what he wants by looking into the caregiver’s eyes and even asking for the object by name.

Anne enticed the child with a particularly visually interesting toy. The child became fascinated with it but as soon as he put it down, Anne scooped up the toy! When the child went to look for it, she brought it up to her face with animated gestures and a huge smile. As soon as he made eye contact, (success!) she handed the toy to him as a reward. The next step was to up the ante. This time when he put the toy down Anne picked it up again. When the little guy looked for it a moment later Anne did the same gesture by bringing it up to her face… this time saying the Mandarin word for toy: “Wan ju!” Our little guy really wanted that toy. But Anne kept bringing it to her face saying “Wan ju!” Finally after several rounds of this the child reached for the toy, made eye contact with Anne and said, “Wan ju.” Huge success!!! The foster mother was amazed, but better yet, she now had a therapeutic intervention to help her child with autism.

Early Morning Sounds

2011-10-17T17:32:00.000-07:00

This early morning I am in the orphanage "internet cafe" alone with wet hair and my computer. I can hear the babies fussing for their formula and I'm watching the nannies going back and forth from building to building with pink and blue thermoses of formula. Birds are chirping... but it sounds different...like maybe they are chirping in Mandarin. Every morning the routine is the same...a familiar sound day after day...year after year. This year I am privileged to be sharing the nurse's room with my friend and colleague, Angie, an RN from River Falls. We had a blast yesterday examining the babies and doing their measurements and vital signs. Some of them loved us and a few really didn't like us one bit. But of course we love them all. -Jane Steinmetz

Volunteers Have Arrived

2011-10-16T17:03:00.000-07:00

Our volunteer group has now arrived in Shanghai! Some have been doing a little touring in Chengdu to see the Giant Pandas and some have just arrived. We will be seeing the sights in downtown Shanghai today in order to acclimate to the time change. We're planning on the Shanghai Museum, the Bund and a little light shopping...and of course you can't go to Shanghai without eating dumplings. Sunday afternoon we will head over to Hangzhou by bus and then it is a week of seeing the children and working with the staff. We can't wait to see everyone! We are bringing 8 boxes of donations...pediatric walkers, bath chairs and positioning and seating devices!!! Thank you to all the friends of Red Thread Charities who donated to this cause!

Picnic in the park

2011-10-09T12:39:00.000-07:00

Red Thread Charities hosted a potluck picnic at a park in Mpls while our friends from China were here. Volunteers from previous trips and new volunteers for this October's trip were here to meet and greet the ladies. A very special surprise were the attendance of some children who had at one time lived in the care of these ladies, walking in and being immediately recognized by their former nannies. It made more than one of us shed a tear.

Children learn through play

2011-10-09T12:21:00.000-07:00

We sure enjoyed having our friends from Hangzhou come to MN and WI to visit therapy centers. They got to tour Courage Center, Gillette Children's Hospital, U of M Adoption Clinic, The Therapy Place, Point of Stillness, Avanti Center and some wonderful schools. In every facility we toured, two things were always stressed:
* Children learn through play.
* Inclusion and mainstreaming children is best for everyone.
These are concepts that are new to China and by the end of the trip our friends really understood why we in the US incorporate these ideas into our education system.

Question: "Doesn't it make the child with a special need feel bad being included with typical children?" Answer: "I think you're mainstreaming in the orphanage without realizing it. How do the children with no obvious special need, such as a repaired heart react to the child who who has a more visually obvious special need such as a missing limb?"
The staff acknowledged that, "The children accept them very well."
You see we are the same all over the world, and education is the key to helping adults realize what children instinctively know.
Here is a photo of the ladies playing in the lycra climbing gym at Point of Stillness Therapy Center in Hudson WI.

Our friends

2011-09-21T12:10:00.000-07:00

It has been a packed 2 weeks for our friends from Hangzhou Children's Welfare Institute. We've just left them at the airport, boarding passes in hand after yesterday's flight cancellation because of the typhoon in Japan. Now they're on a different flight with a small stopover in Detroit and then non stop to Shanghai. What a wonderful learning opportunity it was for all of us as we were priviledged to tour so many schools and therapy centers in our area. I will attempt to summarize their whirlwind trip through Wisconsin and Minnesota with photos along the way.

Thursday September 8th:

I found out recently that the UWRF and Hangzhou University have an exchange program. Our delegation from China was able to tour the University Communicative Disorders/Regional Speech and Hearing Clinic as well as the Early Childhood Lab School. It was great to be able to interact with the preschool children and see how creative the teachers are. As we are always trying to find resources for the orphanage in Hangzhou it is very helpful to know that UWRF has a strong presence in China. What a small world we live in...

Delegation from China

2011-09-08T07:16:00.000-07:00

Our delegation from China has been here for 4 days now and the jet lag is subsiding. Yesterday was a busy day touring Little Adventures Day Care Center in River Falls and Avanti Center in Hudson. The team was able to observe a typical American daycare in action. They were very intrigued with all the creative ideas and took lots of photos and lots of notes. The afternoon was packed at Avanti Center in Hudson observing several therapy session of children with varying special needs. The ladies are enjoying their experiences here in the US and hope to take ideas back with them to work with their children in the orphanage.

Delegation from Hangzhou arriving 9-5

2011-08-30T07:05:00.000-07:00

We have exciting news to report from Red Thread Charities! A group of 7 ladies from the orphanage in Hangzhou will be arriving next Monday and will be visiting therapy centers in Wisconsin and Minnesota. These are women who have embraced the training RTC has provided in pediatric OT and PT and have lovingly improved the lives of the children living in the orphanage. They will be hosted by families in the area and will be touring Avanti Center, Point of Stillness, Little Adventures Daycare, Gillette Children's Hospital, Childrens Home Society, Fraser School, Cornelia Elementary, The Therapy Place, Courage Center and the U of M. We plan on sneaking in some fun evening events as well and of course, no tour to the Twin Cities would be complete without a shopping trip to the MOA. For most of these women, it will be their first time in America!

Our charity will be purchasing special adaptive equipment such as pediatric walkers, bathing chairs and seating systems to send back with the delegation. If you would like to contribute to this cause please visit our website at http://www.redthreadcharities.org
Donations accepted online at givemn.razoo.com/story/Red-Thread-Charities

It's not what we do. Its why we do it.

2011-05-30T07:27:00.000-07:00

In the early days, when we were conceptualizing Red Thread Charities, we believed that the lives of children living in Chinese orphanages could be improved upon by therapeutic intervention. We believed that professionals would volunteer their time and money to go to China to teach nannies caring for the children techniques in pediatric OT, PT and special education. We believed that the nannies would embrace the techniques and use them to help the children even after we left China and returned to our lives here. We were right. And now the concept is bigger than ever. The nannies’ status has been elevated to therapists and teachers. The lovely children have blossomed in their care. Children who once could not walk are walking. Children who were severely sensory defensive are opening up like flowers. The children and the staff are becoming stronger and more confident. Foster parents are being trained in the same techniques. Other orphanages in Zhejiang province are taking notice and are asking what they can do to help the children in their care. They are sending their staff to be trained by the people who we trained. We at RTC believe in empowerment. We believe that when people see how children’s lives can benefit though therapy they will understand its importance. It’s not what we do… It’s why we do it. If you are the type of person that believes in empowerment, visit our website at http://www.redthreadcharities.org

Nancy's Email from China

2011-04-11T08:11:00.000-07:00

Good Morning Dear Readers. Nancy Lawton Shirley and Qiuxia Hu are in Hangzhou this week checking on the progress of RTC's program in Hangzhou. We are thrilled to get this update and we wanted to share it with all of you. Have a tissue handy!

From Nancy to Kiki about Children at Hangzhou – 4/11/11

Dear Kiki: I wish that you could have come to see the fruits of your hard labor! I had tears in my eyes all morning as I witnessed more transformation in all areas (baby, toddler, conductive ed, foster). Despite lack of adequate staffing numbers, they have found ways to support the children. Everywhere I went I saw happy children's faces, no shut down, children engaged. It may not be perfect, but what they understand about the children's needs has made a big difference. They understand environment set up, sensory needs, and the need for physical exercises and rehab. They bought boppies ( small rubber seats with trays), smaller high chairs, and corner chairs on their own for the baby unit!! The children looked great! What Nannies they have really have been well trained by the orphanage staff. I saw compassion and skill!

They LOVE the walkers!!! I saw the children using them–and demanding to use them! They have made a big difference for the two children–and they need more of that exact type. One girl who just arrived at the orphanage in Dec. is now walking short distances even without it!! (She didn't walk at all when she came--so the walker and the rehab have been a huge benefit to her!) So your PT things are really being used!

I am so glad you were able to be here for the last several years! Your contribution to this project is significant and the project really is VERY successful! Thank you!!!!

From Nancy to Cheryl & Jane about Children – 4/11/11

Hi! Just wanted to share more about today. I am pretty spent. The emotional intensity of things was so high today–for all of us. The realization that the orphanage is really moving towards better skills and programs was so moving. So many good things are happening here for the children despite the staffing shortages. The boy that broke my heart last Oct. unglued me today. Last October he had just been abandoned (at age 3) just the week before we arrived. He has cerebral palsy and had difficulties with his hands and legs. He was terrified and so sad–totally traumatized. And he was smart. I could hardly handle it. I was so afraid he would give up. I was afraid that he would disconnect from the world. Today I saw him in the special rehab preschool–and he remembered me! He was all smiles and he was obviously so happy to be in preschool! He has learned to belly crawl and his hand use is getting better. Clearly the staff has been working with him for rehab. Clearly he felt connected to those around him. He made every trip I have made to China worth it.

The stories like this one were multitude. One little girl came this December and did not walk or talk at age 5. She now walks with her new walker and is walking for short periods independently. She is beginning to talk. This is just the beginning of April…this means the orphanage staff is doing a great job!!!

Another child would cry and cry if anyone but her foster mom held her or even looked at her. Now she is playful and smiles and wants attention! She fully participates in the special preschool program–helping her classmates and participating with the teacher!

Another child was in foster care and didn't show any awareness of his left arm and hand. We had trained the foster mom in brushing and joint compressions last March. Now he is using his left spontaneously during play! Foster moms are showing enthusiasm for their children and the rehab plans. They are showing nice skills with the children…and it is really showing in the children's progress. The model appears to be working!

My heart is amazed and so happy!!! Thank you Red Thread Charities for the vision of it all!!!

Boom Boom Pow...Table Tennis Wow!!!

2011-02-26T08:29:00.000-08:00

Next Saturday join us for a fun Red Thread Charities fundraiser in collaboration with the U of M Table Tennis team! Volunteers are gearing up to make this a great family event! Mounds Park Academy is a gorgous facility and we already have almost 40 participants in the table tennis competition! I can't wait to watch the action! Check out the flyer and bring friends and family!

Brief history of Ping Pong

2011-02-11T06:53:00.000-08:00

According to historic accounts, Chairman Mao loved Table Tennis, commonly known as Ping Pong. He ordered cement ping pong tables to be built in parks all across China. As a result, the Chinese people became very proficient! The sport hit a zenith in 1971, when China invited Japan to a Ping Pong tounament and opened their doors to a group of Americans. They were the first group of Americans to be allowed into mainland China since the communist takeover in 1949. Today, nearly every school in China has a ping pong table for the kids to practice on during recess. While traveling with another group of Americans...(RTC)... Kiki Dickinson snapped this photo at a school we visited in Beijing. Oh, by the way...these kids were good...really good. I sincerely hope you can join us on March 5th! (See previous post)

Boom Boom Pow! Ping Pong Now!

2011-02-11T06:04:00.000-08:00

Table Tennis? Yes,TABLE TENNIS!! Please mark your calendar for the first ever Table Tennis Tournament benefiting Red Thread Charities. We are teaming up with the University of Minnesota Table Tennis Team for an afternoon of fun! Come to watch the professionals play! Get some professional training and advice! Bring your own paddles to play like champions! It is an event for everyone in the family!! Soup, salad and snacks available for purchase! We'll be posting the flier soon!

Save the Date!!! Saturday, March 5 2011 at Mounds Park Academy

Double Happiness!

2010-11-15T10:14:00.000-08:00

Shuang Xin Li Men, literally translated means "Double Happiness Comes through the Door" with your support RTC will continue to cross thresholds by "Connecting Lives... Creating Futures" for children with special needs in Chinese orphanages and foster homes. Your gift will be doubled/matched by the support of our generous anonymous donors, up to $10,500 by donating on line at givenmn.org or by check dated through November 16. All gifts in any amount are welcome. http://givemn.razoo.com/story/Red-Thread-Charities

Red Thread Charities

redthreadcharities.org

6632 West Shore Drive

Edina, MN 55435

Red Scarves to Red Guards

2010-11-10T04:04:00.000-08:00

Sunday's event

Well, Danling did it again! Her talk on Sunday about growing up in China during the Cultural Revolution held an audience of over 100 people spellbound! I think about Danling's life as a teenager, forced away from her parents and school to work in the fields for long hours every day while being "re educated". I think about what her parents went through, forced away from their school aged sons who were left to fend for themselves...how they worried to the point of desperation. Who could live through torture like this? Amazingly, Danling and her family did live through this. Her parents and brothers are alive and well in Beijing. Danling has gone on to help countless people, myself included, adopt children from China. She founded Red Thread Charities which has helped so many children live more fulfilled lives in orphanges in China. Thank you to all who donate to our cause! And thank you Danling, for everything you do!

Danling and her mother. Oct 2010

Another entry from our resident travel blogger, Tom

2010-11-03T10:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, (actually 2 weeks ago) Tuesday in Beijing the weather was perfect, mid 60's to 70's and blue skies. We took in the Hutong area on our first outing leaving in heavy traffic around 9:00 am. We had a rickshaw tour through the alleys of households that dated back to the Ming dynasty. This was a chance to see the ancient lifestyle that still exists today, despite the Olympic building program and an increase in high rise contruction..bikes everywhere, cars all over and lots of places in reconstruction..property goes for outrageous prices..in the millions for an apartment. Many share bathrooms and are lucky to have a place here.

From there we got dropped off and hiked to the Drum Tower (google it) and ancient time keeping building..the spot of the Bachman tradgedy in the 08 Olympics..Later we had lunch with a family..Homemade dishes spun around on a Lazy Susan..needless to say it made many stops in front of me..I am getting pretty good at the use of chop sticks..We got back to our hotel to check out around 2:00 pm and then off to Tian'men Square..the largest public square in the world..The square was filled with people and guards were scattered about. The size of the square is staggering and the huge screen depicting scenes from China was the screen seen during the Olympics. Across the way is the Forbidden City. Commoners were forbidden to enter and would be punished by death. It was home of the Ming and Qing dynasty emperor till the end of the Ming Dynasty in 1911. A day here might be enough to see all the courtyards and art collections. We had about 2 hours..then were off to Pearl City where shops are pilled on one another and bargaining is a blast..Later we had dinner and then made our way to the train station..Will down load some photos later... the food has been outstanding...I need to watch myself. Tom

Children Helping Children

2010-11-03T09:15:00.000-07:00

Half way around the world a child can make a difference in another child's life. A brownie troop in MN hand made sensory blankets for the orphanage. Sensory blankets are super soft and textural with ribbon tags around them. Babies can bond with them and take them with them when they are adopted as a comforting transitional item from foster or orphanage care to the forever family. Being an adoptive mom, I know that on adoption day, within 24 hours, that precious child has been bathed and dressed in cute Baby Gap clothing. New parents, new language, new hotel with heat, new smells, new sights and sounds. Nothing is left from the child's previous life. The sensory blankets are meant to bridge that transition, something that the child can hold onto that was a piece of his life before adoption. Thank you to Brownie Troop 52931... Emma, Cece, Skylar, Sophia, Emily, Zoe, Misk, Abby, and of course our 2009 volunteer, Paige Indritz for making a difference in a child's life.

Generous Donation

2010-10-27T21:33:00.000-07:00

While preparing for our volunteer trip back here in Wisconsin, I was surprised by a very generous donation from a waiting family! The instructions from the family was to “use this donation in any way that the orphanage might need”. Whew! That was a hard one! I presented it to our RTC board. I always referred to it as our “Happy Dilemma.” We thought and thought…. What would be fair? Who should make this decision? We finally decided that we would present it to the orphanage director and ask her opinion. We told her of our “Happy Dilemma”. She talked rapidly with the other staff members and came up with a solution! It took all of about 15 seconds!!! Our team had recommended further evaluation on a child with hearing impairment. They will be using the funds to get further testing and procure hearing aids for a little boy who happens to be in the same preschool group as the child with the donating parents! I talked to the donating mom who was delighted that the funds be used to help a child! Some day a little girl will know that her friend in China was helped by her own parents. What a special bond! If any of you might feel creative about a donation, our group makes sure it goes to the kids. Our generous volunteers pay their way to China and the trip is so rewarding they usually return a second or third time. Still it is expensive… If there are any pediatric PTs, OTs, child pychologists, pediatricians with a lot of CP knowledge… Special Ed teachers…. Speech therapists with cleft experience. We have another trip planned for October 2011. Please consider a very rewarding trip. What else could be more important? The children need you.

Hello from Quin

2010-10-24T12:17:00.000-07:00

Hi. I'm Quin and I'm one of the kid volunteers. Our team has been really busy for the past 5 days examining kids in the orphanage and helping the teachers and nannies learn therapy techniques. Here I am in one of the therapy rooms playing with a little girl who has Down syndrome. Children who are born with Down syndrome can really be helped with therapy and they are really fun! I am helping this little girl learn how to share toys. She gets to hear music for 15 minutes which helps her brain become more organized. In the second picture she has on earphones tied with a red scarf. At first she didn't like it but when she heard the music it helped her concentrate better. The little boy in the last photo has a hard time using his muscles. The big therapy ball helps him have fun and stretch while reaching for toys. The kids really like therapy. This orphanage has almost 400 children. Some of the kids will be adopted by parents in the United States and Europe. It's nice for kids to be able to have fun while they get their therapy.

School Visit

2010-10-23T08:09:00.001-07:00

School Visit on Thursday, Oct. 21…Hangzhou Foreign Language School

This school was built 7 years ago in only 14 months. It is a government run boarding school with an emphasis on a foreign language. There are 3500 students here in grades 7-12. It is one of the top schools in the area with only 1 of every 100 elementary students getting in. The lower grades pay a lesser fee than grades 10 – 12. At the end of their 10th grade year they make a choice between the science and math area or history and social studies area. Graduating from this school eliminates them from taking the tough entrance exam for entrance into the local universities. This was the deal the government made with the colleges.

How about this for a school day!! Breakfast is around 7:15 am and classes start @ 7:40 am and run till noon. Much like in the US school system (about the only similar item) the lunch program runs the school. The Jr. High kids eat @ 11:30 and the Sr. High around noon. They have about an 1 ½ hour lunch break and then back to classes till 5:00 pm..Supper is served and then back to study areas from 6:20 to 8:40 for Jr. High and till 9:20 for High School..Lights out @ 10:00 pm for the Sr. High kids, a bit earlier for the younger ones. Sports or clubs take place in the late afternoon. There is no competition between other schools as it would cut into study time. Basketball is big here among the students as a sport and they like the NBA, especially the Lakers. We told them the Lakers were originally from Minnesota, the land of 10,000 lakes, and city of Minneapolis, the city of Lakes.

The campus would be a large version of St. Olaf or Gustavus. The mulit-storied ( a 3 story cafeteria) buildings have marble stairways with stainless steel handrails, no carpet here. The huge gym would rival the Target Center and many outdoor basketball courts ring the campus. Expansive walkways, and landscaping is set around ponds, shrubs and trees. The architecture is creative the library looming over a huge granite football like courtyard.

20% of these kids go onto Universities all over the world without having to take the college exams. There were lists of the student’s names with the college acceptances next to their names. One had 9 schools.. from the Big Ten, California, Ivy League to schools in Europe. About 40-50% go onto colleges in China with vo-tech schools being an option. This is a brain factory. They want to be here and I am sure the principal deals with few discipline problems. The director said “If a kid came home from school @ 3:00 pm., he /she would be shot by the parents.” Education here is big time and I feel the game is over. China wins.

I talked to a student for about 15 minutes and within 12 hours he had emailed me. He was interested in the most fantastic sport in the US, who was the most famous American author and had I been to a NBA game. I gave him my answers and told him I’d take him a game if he came to America. My bet is he will be over, these kids are driven..Fun to see this.

Happy Birthday Tim and Bridget

2010-10-23T08:08:00.000-07:00

The year sure went by fast. For two years in a row now, two Libra members of our team...Tim and Bridget... got to celebrate their birthdays at Hangzhou CWI. After a morning of examining around 20 kidlets, the staff had a giant cake delivered to our cafeteria. What a gift to see all the foster families including PT and OT into the childrens' daily regimen. Kudos! Later this evening we are scheduled to celebrate at a Karoke bar somewhere near the night market in Hangzhou....more to come.

First Day of Exams

2010-10-23T08:06:00.000-07:00

Today we spent the day examining 22 children. It was so touching to see their sweet smiling...and sometimes crying...faces. We sure were busy! Every one of the volunteers did a fantastic job! Thank you to all! As so many children are now being adopted internationally and domestically, the nannies frequently asked...Do you think this child could be adopted internationally? Oh my goodness...of course!

The Land of Green Tea

2010-10-21T13:33:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, Oct 20th, around 5:00 pm we headed for the tea area of Hangzhou, (Longjing) green tea, one of China's most prized teas has long been cultivated in this area on the jagged hills that border Hangzhou. Our driver weaved up the hills and narrow streets and wedged us in a side street.We then walked for about 10 minutes down a steep walkway, past houses with patios and gardens, finally to our destination. We were at a family's house and sat out on their deck. They had just remodeled their place and it was fantastic. It had the traditional furniture inside and put a brand new TV set up attached to stone wall. The food kept coming out once again and we really had a good time. At the end the family got out the tea and many of us bought some. According to legend Emperor Qian Long decided this tea from the Meijiawu Village was the best in China. So of all the tea in China..we bought the best...So I got that going for me when I return to the US. The leaves were hand dried and recently picked. We left there about 9:00 pm and got back in a short time, traveling thru several tunnels that were cut thru the mountains.

Tom and Linda Rasmussen

Finally we have internet!!!

2010-10-19T08:45:00.000-07:00

We traveled by bus to Hangzhou CWI a couple of days ago and boy have we been busy! Officials from CCAA, China Center for Adoption Affairs, and orphanage directors from throughout China were at the orphanage and we were asked to give our lectures during that time. We were thrilled to be able to have an audience with people so instrumental in making policies regarding adoption. Susan Jacobson from the U of MN adoption clinic gave her talk on what information should go in a child's referral, I gave mine on the importance of gracefully transitioning children from foster care to adoptive families. Nancy and Kiki gave their talk on PT and OT. It was very well received and the questions from the audience were very thoughtful. During my talk, I felt it was important to give a voice to recent adoptive families. When I showed pictures of Hong Jie, Ke Xin and Shu Yi (Parents...you know who you are...), 4 nannies sitting off to the side had tears streaming down their faces while they pointed at the screen. It sure made my day. Jane

Traffic in Xi'an

2010-10-18T20:19:00.000-07:00

Our bus is a 20 passenger Mercedes with a stub nose, manual shift and comfortable seats. Our driver is a magician weaving us in a and out of traffic, pulling in a front of anyone, turning on a dime and suddenly stopping inches in front of a car, bus, bike or wide eyed pedestrian. There are no rules here, only if you are in a bigger rig you win. He made a U-turn in front of oncoming traffic, forced taxis and bikes off the road and always won the race to the spot. He was like Rembrandt at times gently weaving in and out with smooth stroke of the gas pedal and turn of the wheel, other times like Picasso suddenly stopping and turning and squeezing in next to another bus, and other times like the mad man Van Gogh racing down a short cut, thru a back road and scattering folks and bikes to the curb. 90% of the time he is only inches from the the other buses, bikes and taxis. His horn blares to warn and he never gets upset. He passed a cop on the right with his horn blaring, dodging another car and settling in front of the cop. There are no tickets given or police present, it would only stop the uncontrolled flow of the vehicles. I have come to the conclusion this traffic only works if there are no rules. A left turn only lane with people obeying would only cause a back up, so it is better to head out into the flow, melt in and keep going. So I just seat back and marvel at the master driver in action and am glad I am not behind the wheel.

Terracotta Warriors

2010-10-18T20:17:00.000-07:00

Thursday, Oct. 14th.
At 8:30 am we left for the Terracotta Warriors, thought to be the 8th Wonder of the World. It was about an hour drive outside of the city of Xi'an and once again dodging traffic and stopping to pay tolls along the way. On March 29th, 1974 a farmer digging a well because of the drought discovered some pottery and reported it the authorities. These four farmers became instant heroes as they had discovered Emperor Qin's tomb from 2,000 years ago. I will not go into all the details of him, but google Terracotta Warriors. This cruel emperor had died at the age of 50, but made his people build him a tomb. The warriors were to protect him, and some 700,000 died building his tomb. 8,000 lifelike warriors, all different, were made to honor and protect him. The site was sacked in a revolution (many sites in China have been sacked and the rebuilt), taking a month to rob. His tomb remains untouched as authorities are trying to develop the technology to preserve and dodge the booby traps set; some even with mercury. In the three pits we toured, the the remains were re-constructed. In 1998 Bill Clinton visited the site and met one of the farmers who made the discovery. One is still living today and was present to sign a book when we visited and Cheryl bought a book and had him sign it. It was a site almost too big and unreal to imagine.

Tom & Linda Rasmussen

Chopsticks and Pagodas

2010-10-18T20:13:00.000-07:00

We had gone to bed early after our hike around West Lake and another marvelous meal. I can't seem to say no to the food presented to me. My use of chopsticks is getting pretty good and not much gets by me or is left on my plate. Quinn is the best at the use of chopsticks and have given me a few pointers. Getting the noodles out of the bowl is a test, as they are easily 17 - 18 inches long.

Our bus driver took us to the West Lake area where there are many Pagodas, park areas, and a favorite romantic spot for all. Needless to the place was packed with people on Sunday. The Baochu Pogoda built in 976 is the center of the Buddhist Culture and was one of our first stops. This also the spot of the Lingyin Scenic Area, one of the ten largest Buddhist Temples, 1st built in 326 AD. The Lingyin Pagoda is the only Pagoda in Hangzhou that dates back to the Ming Dynasty. This is one of the most popular spots for Buddhist activity in SE China. There were tons of people worshiping here along with the visitors and tourists. Incense was all over the place and at times the smoke almost burned your eyes.

After lunch we took a boat ride across to an island dotted with paths, walkways, and bridges. The winding bridge walkway was made of granite slabs 2' by 6' and 6 inches deep.. and 3 wide. This was set on concrete columns with precision craftsmanship and made for comfortable walking. The boat took us back and we headed to the spot to be picked up. The area would be like Lake Calhoun but set it in a city of 10 million, with clogged paths and roads. We looked across the way at the Shang Ra La Hotel, the old communist state Guesthouse where President Nixon stayed in 1972. A night's stay would run you $160 a night.

More down the road.

Tom Rasmussen

Train Trip

2010-10-17T15:43:00.000-07:00

The train station is Beijing was packed with people, some workers,and some migrant workers. Luckily Nancy and Danling guided us through the gates and onto the platform WE were scheduled to leave @ 9:00 pm and made it despite the traffic and flood of people going thru the gates. I was the odd man out of 13, so I shared a berth on the sleeper train with a husband and wife from France and I fellow visiting famly in Xi'an. With my snoring the other 12 in our group caught a break. There was no common car for hanging out, just a washroom or bathroom at each end of the car. 4 to a room with 10 berths per car, giving us about 600 on the train. The high speed trains only go halfway and in the 2 years will cover the total distance between Beijing and Xian. We had an 11 hour trip. In my bed I was awakened by a photo flash of light, preceded by light horn. It was a high speed train rattling by like a bunch of flourescent lighs exploding. This happened many times and also with oncoming traffic. Thank goodness I was not on the top bunk as two footholds on each side was all you had to use to get up. It was pleasant after a bit with the thump-thump of the train and the roaring sound of the trains passing, almost in another world as I dozed on and off. We all made it thru the night and arrived in Xi'an missing the early rain that hit.
Weather has been outstandinnggg!!

Tom & Linda Rasmussen

Red Thread Charities

Red Thread Charities 2010 Volunteer Trip Album

Dumpling Buffet

2010-10-17T15:41:00.000-07:00

After biking and touring the Wild Goose Pagoda and taking in a caligraphy Museum wer were dropped off a our restaurant Our bus driver pulled right up on to the sidewalk as people flew out of the way. The brakes squeaked, the door opened and yours truly led the charge to the buffet, first stopping at the restroom..another story..here.
Xi'an is a dry region and wheat and corn are the main crops. Dumplings are a main staple, not rice. Dumplings are made with a wheat dough, rolled out and then stuffed with fish, pork, beef, ham, mushrooms, duck and even peanuts. Ours were made in the shape of ducks and walnuts even. They are then steamed, sometimes fried and served up on a lazy Susan. Needless to say it made many stops in front of me. The dumplings wer outstanndinnggg!! and about the size of mini donuts. They kept bringing them, a total of 15 different kinds. This was preceded by the servings of duck, pork and chicken and ending by a mini-dumpling soup. I needed one of the cranes to lift me out of my seat after.

Tom & Linda Rasmussen

On the Wall

2010-10-17T15:39:00.000-07:00

Our guide, Mini took us to the City Wall which was real close to to our hotel, the Howard Johnson Plaza. We made the choice to bike the entire 9 mile square. Tim and Quinn were on a tandem, Linda and I also for about 15 min, Jane, Kim and Bridjet on single bikes. These bikes look like they were about 40 years old, with 1 speed, hand brakes, a wire basket on top of rusted, rattling fender. But they worked!!.. Linda and I switched to single as her seat was about 2 feet off the ground. The streets below were filled with traffic but up above on the wall it was clear sailing.
What a site we have over the the bumpy cobblestone top, past ancient weapons of catapults, cannons and lookouts. The whole time we were watched by huge tower cranes overlooking the city of Xi'an (8 million)..Xi'an is trying to maintain the old look but skyscrapers are everywhere outside the city wall. Some of the projects are being approached with pick and shovel nd getting roads opened up is not easy. The whole time we saw new and different sites on the roof tops. It was indeed a ride of a life time shared with old friends, new friends and my wife of 39 years.

Tom Rasmussen

Ancient Lifestyles

2010-10-17T15:33:00.000-07:00

We had a tour through the Hutong district via rickshaw on Tuesday. It took us thru the alleys of households that date back to the Ming Dynasty. This was a chance to see the ancient lifestyle that still exists, despite the Olympic building program that demolished many of the buildings to make way for the high -rises. Later we had lunch with a family. A fantastic meal set on a lazy Susan. Needless to say it made many stops in front of me.
Tian'men Square is the largest public square in world. The square was filled with people and guards scattered through out the area. The size of the area is staggering and the huge screen was the one seen during the Olympics.

Forbidden CIty is across the from the square. Once again it is massive. Commoners were forbidden to enter and were punished by death if they entered. It was home to many on Ming and Qing dynasty emperors till the end of the Ming Dynasty in 1911. A day here might not be enough to see all the courtyards and art collections.
Tom Rasmussen

China and Chile

2010-10-13T22:23:00.001-07:00

Hi All. I just want to say how happy we all are that the trapped miners in Chile are now being rescued. We are in our hotel in Xian watching the breaking news on CNN and waiting to go outside and see the sights. I'm so happy to be getting messages from parents adopting children from Hangzhou CWI. Our team is thrilled to be seeing and evaluating the kids in a few days. So many kids are already familiar to us as we were priviledged to examine and give suggestions a year ago. A few parents have already brought their children home! I recently received an email from a mom who said, "I am so happy I accepted the referral on this little girl. She has enriched all of our lives tremendously. She loves to be kissed and give kisses too." Isn't that a wonderful email to get.

Jane

Day One - The Great Wall

2010-10-13T22:22:00.000-07:00

We passed the Drum Tower on the way out of Beijing on the way to the Great Wall. Our hotel, the Beijing Oriental Cultural Center is in the center of Beijing, marked by the inner ring of roads which there are a total of 6 rings..farther out are the more modern skyscrapers and such. We got the Great Wall around 11:15 am on a clear, spectacular day. We were lucky as the previous days were cloudy and rainy..We visited the Badlaling section, the most frequented area, the first area to be restored in 1957. Mao Zedong said "He who has not climbed the Great Wall is not a true man." The wall is 3,875 miles in length, but if you include all terrain and berm it is over 10,000 miles. Most of the wall is in poor condition and many parts are not easy to reach. We were amazed at how steep the steps were, with the flat stones not easy to climb. The walls are higher on the invading side and have more holes in for looking out and weapons and such. In walking were over overtaken by the vastness and overwhelming area it covered. Smoke was used to alert the troops if an invasion from the north was on its way. The wall was wide enough to allow horses and troops to move the point of action. We took many photos and will have them loaded on our Picasa album soon. Our trip has started out with spectacular weather, amazing food and wonderful companionship.

Tom & Linda Rasmussen

Hello China...tomorrow

2010-10-09T05:15:00.001-07:00

Some of our volunteers will be leaving in a few hours for China. It's just going to be wonderful seeing the kids again! So many children have been adopted since last year and the parents who have contacted me are over the moon! Overwhelmingly, the children have adapted into their life like they've always been there. I credit the great work of so many Chinese foster parents, making it possible for a child to learn life skills in a family while waiting for their adoptive parents. Children's Home Society and Family Services went to China in March 2010 to work with an orphanage in the Journey of Hope Program. Many of these children now have loving families anxiously waiting travel approval... but there are still some children left, hoping for a forever family.
Here’s a link http://www.youtube.com/user/childrenshomesociety#p/u.

Shadow Buddies

2010-09-20T11:25:00.000-07:00

Our volunteer trip is getting closer and I'm really excited about this donation from our volunteer gastroenterologist. These dolls are called Shadow Buddies from the Hollister company and they are teaching tools for kids with colostomies! Look closer and you can see the 'stoma' sewn onto the abdomen of each of the dolls. And to top it off, each doll comes with it's own miniature ostomy bag! I'm just loving it. What a wonderful idea for a child with this special need. Thank you, Paul!

An Afternoon with Danling Cai

2010-09-13T11:38:00.000-07:00

You Are Invited to a Red Thread Charities’ Educational Event:
An Afternoon With Danling Cai
Sunday, November 7, 2010 2:30pm to 5:00pm
Please join us for “An Afternoon with Danling Cai” in the Fireplace Room of St. Mark’s Cathedral, 519 Oak Grove Street,Minneapolis, Minnesota, from 2:30 to 5:00 pm. on Sunday, November 7th.
Executive Director of Red Thread Charities’ Danling Cai will present her moving story of growing up in China during the Cultural Revolution:
“Red Scarves to Red Guards My Journey from Student to ”*
Peasant to Life in America
Danling will also give a short update of the work done by Red Thread Charities and her hopes for the future. As RTC enters its 5th year, the way it works with orphanages to improve care is gaining respect in China as the model to be followed, and its connections are growing as the need remains.
We will also present a teen panel who will briefly talk about their work with Danling at Hangzhou Orphanage this past summer. Refreshments will be served.
Suggested donation of $20 per person will be collected at the door. All proceeds will go to support RTC’s work in China.

We are ready!

2010-09-12T20:49:00.000-07:00

Great pre trip meeting today. Everyone is getting super psyched up for the trip in 4 weeks!!! We recently found out that we are requested to give some lectures early to a conference of orphanage officials meeting up in Hangzhou. It will be great to give our western perspective to a bigger group and I really hope to get some feedback from some recent adoptive families who I have contacted and will contact in the next week. ADOPTIVE PARENTS! If you have a waiting child from Hangzhou CWI, please contact me personally and our team will get some info and photos for you if we will see your child before you travel. Here is a photo of our group...sans a few...We are ready!!!! Hangzhou CWI...here we come!

Tips to Avoid Jet Lag

2010-08-11T21:50:00.000-07:00

Hi Gang: It's getting closer to China time!!! 2 more months and we're on our way!!! I know there are a lot of parents waiting to travel to China to receive their children so I thought I would post a few tips on how our volunteer team plans to reduce jet lag.

TIPS TO REDUCE JETLAG:

The day before the flight:
1. Drink plenty of fluids, not alcohol as it tends to dehydrate. Some people swear by Melatonin, an OTC hormone medication that helps with the body's circadian rhythm. (Taken preflight to post flight.) Bridget...2 time volunteer recommends Melatonin!
2. Eat a nutritious dinner with fresh greens from the garden and avoid fast food as everything you will eat on the airplane for the next 16 hours is like fast food.
3. Pack your bags and get everything ready to go and THEN do your regular exercise routine or take a brisk walk or bike ride the evening before the flight. The exercise will help combat preflight jitters and help you get a good night's sleep.

During the flight:
1. Set your watch to China time and try to psyche yourself into that time zone.
2. Bring a neck pillow and wear comfy clothes.
3. Walk as much as you can to avoid blood clots and constipation. Make frequent trips to the restroom to wash hands and face as it helps to increase circulation. (bring a toothbrush with you on the plane.)
4. Sleep and watch the fun movies. Bring a great book to get lost in. (Bonus tip: I just read Plainsong by Kent Haruf and couldn't put it down.) Handheld video games like Nintendo DS for the kids. (Quin will bring hers and trade around games.)
5. Drink water! (Note to self...Enjoy the inflight wine and cocktails moderately. :-)
6. Embrace the airplane food as best you can. Keep in mind you will experience the most delicious food you ever tasted the entire time we're in China!

Arriving at the hotel:
1. Take a shower as soon as possible to freshen up and get your muscles and circulation going. If you must nap, make it brief so you can stay up until a reasonable local bedtime.
2. Get outside and into the fresh air and sunshine and walk around.
3. Talk one of the PTs or OTs into giving you a neck massage or a cranial sacral treatment. Bribe them with chocolate.

See you all soon!!! Jane

Journey of Hope

2010-06-19T05:22:00.000-07:00

I wanted to let everyone know about a new program of CCAA called the Journey of Hope. Through this program, the CCAA allows an orphanage & adoption agency to work together closely to place special needs children. Recently CHSFS & Hangzhou got approval to work together. Through this program, social workers from CHSFS went to Hangzhou where they put on a program for the children and interviewed & filmed many kids. They now have information on about 35 children, although a few have already been matched. For more information go to:

http://www.chsfs.org/journeyofhope

This is a really cool program in that it allows the adoption agency access to a lot more information than is normal. And in this case, it is really nice in that Red Thread Charities began working with Hangzhou this past year also so our medical team (doctors, nurses, PT's, OT's) saw many of the children in October. With CHSFS & RTC both in the Twin Cities, it has allowed for a lot of sharing of informaiton.

You can check out the website or call Kelly DeRosier at CHSFS. She is a social worker, working with the Waiting International Children program with China. I do not know her direct number offhand but you can reach her through their general number - 651.646.6393.

I hope some of you that may be considering adding to your family will give Kelly a call. There are so many amazing, adorable kids waiting! In the case of special needs, they can work with families from all over the country.

Therapy and Education for the Kids

2010-05-12T10:34:00.001-07:00

Today we received some wonderful photos from China! The children are in their classrooms receiving special education and therapy! They look so happy it brings tears to my eyes. Notice that some of the children are in special standing chairs while being taught their lessons. Children with cerebral palsy have varying degrees of mobility issues depending on each individual. Many people with CP have normal cognition. They are simply trapped in their bodies. One of the photos shows a little guy receiving PT while playing with toys. That's what it's all about. Children are more receptive when they are having fun and engaged. I notice 2 children are playing in the bean tub. Have you ever put your hands in a pile of dry beans? It's a calming technique and it feels very soothing. These kids are obviously enjoying their occupational therapy session. Thank you to the dedicated orphanage nannies.

OT- Nancy in Hangzhou, China

2010-03-10T10:36:00.000-08:00

Well Gang, I'm very happy to report that Nancy Lawton-Shirley is stationed for the next 2 weeks at Hangzhou Orphanage giving therapy guidance and instruction. I've posted a sweet photo from last October to remind you who Nancy is. She is the smiling face in the center with bare legs. I haven't received a photo I can use yet from this March trip but believe me...no bare feet! It's cold!!! Except for today, I guess it warmed up and everyone is feeling very glad that it did. Fickle March!
Well anyway, Nancy has been hard at it, working with the kids and the staff and each day we get an email report from that day's work. I'll paraphrase a few of the high points:
Monday: Observed the Conductive Ed class for the 5-7 year old children with CP. She was able to make suggestions on how to help the children better focus on the activities. Later the man in charge of massage therapy suggested that he could encorporate 'brushing' into his routine. A great idea since the nannies have to multitask at all times. A child was fit with a dynamic splint which really helped. Nancy observed the baby room and noted that the nannies have successfully incorporated oral motor into their routine. Nancy was able to make more suggestions and an application of kinesiotape on one baby's neck muscles helped that child acheive better head control.
Tuesday: This was a super interesting day for Nancy and our interpreter Vivian because they got to visit 10 foster care families at their homes! Here is a quote: "I was so honored that they trusted me enough to bring me to a wide range of homes from country rustic to more city based. The foster moms were just delightful ranging in age from fairly young to older. The visits were short and there was limited evaluation time- sometimes I was lucky to find a child in all those clothes! Each family had one foster child and 2 families had two."
Wednesday: A very rewarding day! The focus was on training the rehab staff to do the child evaluations. Nancy spoke to the therapists about the clinical reasoning while she was doing the evaluations. She selected developmental techniques to go with each evaluation. The staff had excellent observations and questions. When it was their turn to do the evaluations, they were accurate and successful!
Word has it that the directors or the orphanage are very pleased! Great work Nancy! I'm really looking forward to tomorrow's report.

Happy Chinese New Year!!!

2010-02-13T06:21:00.000-08:00

Every year RTC tucks away a little money to send to each orphanage we are working with so that the children can have a fun Chinese New Year celebration. This year we are working with Hangzhou Childrens Welfare Institute. The director used the money to create a wonderful party for the children. Here are some of the older children singing their hearts out. As I look at the photos, I see everyone dressed very warmly even though they are inside the building. Did you know that none of the government buildings south of the Yangtze River are heated? This includes schools and orphanages. All the children are kept very warm in layers of clothing. The babies are kept in no less than 3 layers and I've seen up to 7 layers in some of the foster families! The children in school wear their coats. The weather in Hangzhou gets quite cold in these winter months. Those of us who have adopted children from China have experienced the scolding mandarin of the older chinese ladies on the street when they think we are not dressing our children in enough layers. This makes me think of a wonderful gift that adoptive parents and volunteers could give to the orphanage. Since it is so cold in these winter months, the children often have chapped skin, especially the babies and the little ones with eczema which is quite common in the asian population. Children with Down syndrome also suffer with eczema and it is difficult to treat in the cold weather. If every volunteer and every adoptive family bought a large tub of Eucerin Cream to tuck in their luggage, the orphanage might have enough of this expensive cream to last a long time. Desitin Diaper Rash cream would also be very helpful. Simple gifts, but very effective. As our family celebrates Valentines Day and Chinese New Year, I know that on my shopping list today there is Eucerin Cream, Desitin Diaper Rash ointment and a big box of mandarin oranges! Happy Chinese New Year!!!!!!!

Forever Family Found!

2010-02-01T13:18:00.001-08:00

One of our little friends from Hangzhou Orphanage has found his forever family! In the Netherlands!
This is a story about a very special little boy who happens to be missing his left arm. That certainly doesn't stop Hong Jie from doing all the things that boys his age love to do...running, climbing, playing with toys...and getting into mischief! When we examined him in October, we found him to be enchanting! He was living in foster care and his foster Nai Nai (grandmother) brought him in for us to see. Our doctor found him to be very healthy, our OT and PT recommended some therapies and our audiologist tested his hearing. Later that evening when I was updating our blog, I noticed a comment from a woman who said she was adopting a child from Hangzhou and was hoping our group saw him. This woman was Hong Jie's soon to be adoptive mother! Having already adopted a daughter with limb differences, the family had requested a child with the same special need. We were thrilled to send a big update and quite a few photos to the anxiously waiting family! Now Hong Jie is home. He has parents and a brother and sister who adore him! Last week the family had a welcome home party for their new son. I received an email from his mother to tell me they put a box by the door for donations to give to Red Thread Charities. By the end of the night they had raised over $700! RTC is so grateful for the amazing families that travel to China to find their children.
I love the mom's comments about her son: "We cannot imagine not having him in our family. He's so wonderful! We do not feel in the slightest that his special needs will slow him down. He is a goal oriented person and has the charm to pull off almost anything. Our guide in China told us he has the dangerous combination of being naughty and cute at the same time. He is the type of child that would put a sandwich in your DVD player as soon as you turn your back :-) That is Hong Jie, all right! A huge thank you to Hong Jie's family for the generous donation and allowing us to tell his story.

RTC Give to the Max Tuesday Nov 17th

2009-11-16T11:23:00.000-08:00

Red Thread Charities – “Give to the Max” on Tuesday, November 17th!!!

Tomorrow, November 17th, beginning at 8:00 a.m. and continuing for 24 hours, contribute to Red Thread Charities at GiveMN.org using your credit card and your gift will be increased by sharing in a $500,000 match from the Saint Paul Foundation, Minneapolis Foundation and Bush Foundation. No transaction fees will be charged, so 100% comes to Red Thread Charities, but it must go through the GiveMN.org website!

http://givemn.razoo.com/story/Red-Thread-Charities

Making a difference

2009-11-11T17:53:00.000-08:00

Bridget’s story:

I’m really hoping to get into PT school so I was thrilled that I got to be an assistant in the therapy rooms. An infant girl was brought into our room. As I looked at her I noticed she had very little animation in the way of facial expression or activity. During her OT screening she barely responded making if very difficult for the therapist to make any recommendations. The PT was finishing up with another kiddo so I went on to hold her while we waited. From instinct I started to bounce and swing this little girl, close to my body, like she was my own child. Once we started the PT evaluation, she was much more animated, responding more to our prompts than before. The OT that was in the room was surprised, saying, “Is this the same little girl?” Then we went on to talk about what could have caused the change in her behavior. The OT got very excited when I said that I had rocked her and such. This simple motion had helped stimulate the little girl and that stimulation helped to wake up her system. It was so interesting for me to see the impact of such a small action on my part. It took so little of my time but it meant the world to this baby. If we all gave a little bit of our time, not only in a foreign country, but also in our local communities, we could get a lot done. Something as simple as listening to a child’s 47th story of the day could [loosely] help the world by instilling creativity and intelligence in one kid. It may sound cliché but this event made me truly believe it.

Thank you, Bridget. I believe it too. Jane
www.redthreadcharities.org

link to RTC 2009 photo album

Therapy Balls

2009-11-09T10:25:00.000-08:00

I am so thankful for our volunteers who pay their way to China and give their time and expertise to help the children.

If I could name one tool that is universal to our therapists it would be the big giant therapy ball. On every RTC trip PTs and OTs screen the children and demonstrate techniques to nannies and foster parents using the ever present therapy balls. RTC has donated many to orphanages and foster families. Therapy balls are used to connect with the child in a playful way to gain trust while assessing the child’s postural stability and core strength. Therapy toys/ tools are used to evaluate how a child perceives sensation. Are they fearful? More engaged? Do they seek or avoid? How does this impact their primary ‘occupation’ of PLAY and their interactions with others. OTs and PTs assess strengths and weaknesses in regard to the child’s gross motor and fine motor skills by using these tools. Watching a demonstration at Special Childrens’ Center in Hudson WI, I noticed a speech therapist bouncing a child on a ball while helping the child speak. She told me that this technique helps a child, who would normally be running around the room, organize his brain so he can concentrate on what the therapist is teaching. If any of you reading this blog are interested in a career in pediatric therapy, I think it is a very noble occupation. If any of you might wish to contribute financially to RTC you can visit our website and consider donation. Our reps in China will be distributing therapy balls to the foster families this week. Your donation helps us get these therapy balls to families who now have been trained to use them! http://www.redthreadcharities.org/

link to RTC 2009 photo album

2009-11-04T20:28:00.000-08:00

I love the way parents in China adorn their children with jade and string jewelry for luck. I remember a child in Guiping who had a jade necklace on that looked like he'd worn it for a long time. He was 3. I asked about it and the nanny told me that he was found as an infant wearing the necklace and they dared not take it off because the mother surely placed it on him for good luck.

When we adopted our daughter Quin, we stayed at the Wanghu Hotel in Hangzhou. Since we were foriegners, we were given a room on the 4th floor. 4=si=death. Chinese people consider 4 a very unlucky number. Some hotels don't even have a 4th floor. We were madly in love with our daughter and we were oblivious to this ominous number. Actually, the number '4' has always been my lucky number and I still consider it so. I just love these photos of kids with lucky necklaces. There were many. I wonder if any of you adoptive parents received your children with a lucky necklace or bracelet. How cool would that be?

link to RTC 2009 photo album

2009-11-04T18:08:00.000-08:00

Here are two more kids sporting handknits. Every fashion forward baby should have a little wool vest to wear over a sleeper on these crisp fall days.

2009-11-04T17:26:00.000-08:00

I believe it is very comforting for families to find out that the child they are waiting so patiently to bring home is living in a foster home close by the orphanage. The foster families we have encountered are almost always older couples with grown children. They are very devoted to the child they are looking after, very affectionate and also very proud. Many children had on hand knit sweaters, vests and pants lovingly made by the foster mother. I know this because I have been a knitter in my lifetime and I can recognize a handmade garment. Also whenever I saw a little handmade sweater I asked the foster mother whether she made it. A nod and a smile was always the answer.

Happy Birthday Austin!

2009-10-28T01:24:00.000-07:00

Everyone is home safe and sound. (Katie and Megan, however are still somewhere in China walking along the Great Wall or something.) Many of our travel group have been up for the last few nights wide awake at 3 am emailing each other, accepting friend requests on facebook and just generally reliving the experience we all shared for a couple of weeks. Our last night in Shanghai included a birthday party for Austin Indritz, one of the physicians in our group. He's Jack and Paige's dad. And Mary's dear husband. Thanks, Austin, for sharing your expertise with our group! You are an amazing doctor and I would be honored to work in any ED, here or in China, with you. Happy Birthday!

2009-10-24T19:36:00.000-07:00

Everyone agrees that interacting with kids at the orphanages is very heartwarming but also extremely emotional. The reality of living in a chinese orphanage, even a good one, has many drawbacks. It was wonderful to learn that some of the children we examined have been adopted and their parents are just waiting for travel approval. But there are so many who remain and I suspect will always live there until they can be relocated at an adult facility when they are old enough. Our volunteers shared tears together more than once. Having a daughter who spent her first year in a social welfare institute in this country of so many millions of people makes me acutely aware of how lucky I am. That being said, it is always a good thing to end our volunteer trips with an afternoon in the countryside and this year we chose a mountainside in the Lanxi area with a cable car and a giant golden Buddha. I am posting this entry from the airport hotel in Shanghai as we will board the plane in one hour to head home. Stay tuned to the blog as others would like to post memories and more photos from the trip. Jane

link to RTC 2009 photo album

2009-10-23T06:23:00.000-07:00

It felt very familiar walking down the road from the bus stop into Lanxi SWI. Four of our child volunteers spent the better part of one year living in this orphanage. Most of the kids at this small facility have been placed but a few are still waiting. We invited families in the community to bring their children with special needs in to be checked and so once again our team spent a full day of examinations and screenings. Families were given therapy instruction and toys to bring home. Even though most of the children we saw from the community had profound special needs, our team was able to give hope in the way of therapy to some very dedicated families. And, once again, just to help us remember that we're really not in Kansas...or St Paul...or Mpls...or River Falls, a senior citizen dance ensemble performed a robust chinese opera on the orphanage grounds.

Having 10 child volunteers on the trip has been a delight. We have 9 girls with us: Mia, Ava, Quin, Zoe P, Zoe G, Jin Jin, Ellen, Grace, Paige and one boy, Jack. Our kids have been able to have the run of the orphanage and help with the PT /OT demonstrations by being models during the lectures. I think Jack has really enjoyed being the only boy on our trip. I look over at the kid's table at dinner and watch him going around the table pouring small amounts of Sprite into the girls glasses and toasting each one. This young man is smooth. Yesterday Jack slipped a note under my door that he wanted posted to the blog, so here goes: This is from Jack: "I really enjoyed being in the OT and PT rooms and being an assistant. The kids were all really fun and playful. I think they are all adoptable. I loved this trip to China and want to do something like this again...I think."

link to RTC 2009 photo album

Farewell to Hangzhou

2009-10-21T08:16:00.000-07:00

The folks from Hangzhou Childrens Welfare Institute and Red Thread Charities had a swell party today. We played outside with the kids and staff and the children were just amazing!

This afternoon we finished our work with Hangzhou CWI and got on the bus heading to Lanxi SWI. Our team said a fond farewell with great hopes for next year's trip.

link to RTC 2009 photo album

2009-10-20T20:52:00.000-07:00

This morning I give my presentation on Down syndrome. I'm so excited about it that yesterday I gave much of the information to my nurse helper. She was surprised to learn that families in America adopt children with Down syndrome and can't imagine their life without that child. I have so many photos and kind messages that families have sent me to share!! I think this little baby is so cute.

My talk on children with Down syndrome was very well received, especially when I showed photos that parents sent of their children with Down syndrome. Here is my audience crowding around the computer delighted with the images. I'm just so happy. Jane

After we finish the medical exams it's so nice to walk into the therapy rooms and see how much fun the kids are having while they are getting their therapy screenings. Here are a few photos.

Last night we had an "official dinner" which means we had dinner with the official leaders of the city. The vice director of Hangzhou toasted the children and was clearly delighted when Zoe Parish was able to speak mandarin to him. The children are all able to consume enough with chopsticks to keep them well nourished. They were quite intrigued with the boiled chicken with it's head still on the plate. I asked Quin if anyone ate the chicken and she said. "We made Jack take the head but he only played with it."
Jane

link to RTC 2009 photo album

2009-10-20T07:16:00.000-07:00

We have two volunteers who share the same birthday. I won't reveal their ages but they are exactly 30 years apart. Happy Birthday to Tim and Bridget! A warm wishes party was planned by the staff at Hangzhou complete with a huge cake. Bridget received a jade bracelet as a gift and Tim received a really cute plastic beaded mouse.

Lunch here at the Hangzhou CWI today was water squash soup and along with eel with garlic and ginger. A little boney but really quite delicious! The therapy screenings went very well.

If RFAH is looking for their spare oximeter, it's here in China. (Thank you to our respiratory therapist Brandon!) We are seeing a fair number of kids with cardiac conditions. Some of the children have had their ASD and VSD and Tetrology of Fallot successfully repaired right here in Hangzhou. If I could give a shout out to any parent wishing to adopt a child with special needs, these kids are really healthy!!

Jack got to help in the childrens area and was a big help disinfecting the toys! Thanks Jack!!!

link to RTC 2009 photo album

2009-10-19T07:22:00.000-07:00

It's 6 am here at Hangzhou Childrens Welfare Institute. Did I mention that we are staying in the dormatories right on the grounds? I hear the babies waking up and crying and as I look out the window, there are nannies going back and forth with wagons full of large thermos bottles of formula. Yesterday was once again a full day of examinations and therapy. Everyone of the volunteers in enchanted with the precious children. After our breakfast of noodles, rice wrapped in bamboo leaves and boiled eggs, we started our morning with a brief official ceremony to kick off our 3 year commitment with Hangzhou and Red Thread Charities. The child volunteers recited a special thank you in mandarin taught by Chandler our beloved guide. Then off to work...or is it play...I can never figure that out. Jane

link to RTC 2009 photo album

Twins!

2009-10-17T21:19:00.000-07:00

The beauty of the children in Chinese orphanages never ceases to amaze me and yesterday was no exception. Our volunteer group examined and screened a great number of children living in foster families in the Hangzhou countryside. We were happy to see that most foster families only had one child and some had two. Here is a story that I thought was sweet. I examined an adorable baby boy and was told he had a twin brother who I would be examining next. One was found and came to the orphanage one day and a few days later the twin was found and brought in. Both are happily living in foster care. I asked the staff how they knew they were twins and they looked at each other, laughing, and said, "Because they look exactly alike!" Genetic studies aside...I guess some things can just be done the old fashioned way.

Our group had a very full day of exams. The non medical staff is becoming quite educated in OT and PT.

Every morning we are to report to the lobby for a temperature check. Even though all our children are healthy and afebrile, Grace was the only child volunteer that was allowed into the exam rooms due to the orphanage director's anxiety over the H1 N1 flu. Hopefully the rest of the children will be able to experience interacting with the babies but for now they are happily playing together on the orphanage playground. Yesterday they all made thank you cards to present to the staff. I'm not worried about them as they are certainly getting a very unique Chinese experience but we are so glad that Grace, our oldest child volunteer, is getting a great education as well! Jane

link to RTC 2009 photo album

Greetings from Shanghai & Hangzhou

2009-10-17T08:42:00.000-07:00

Six of the group came two days early so that we could meet with the directors of a special education center in Shanghai. The connection was made a few years ago when meeting with members of the Shanghai Minnesota Club which is surprisingly quite large. The school is run by Monte & Sherri Rosen, U.S. citizens most recently from Seattle, and currently serves 20 special needs children in a school like setting. They also consult with many international schools in the area. Both of these programs serve the ex-patriot community. This past summer they held a day camp for autistic Chinese children and at the same time held classes for their mothers. They employ occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech therapists, and many aides. The professional staff are American and European citizens.
The meeting was successful and it was decided that our two organizations have a lot in common. We are looking into having some of their professional staff visit Hangzhou periodically to do training. Sherri and two of her staff will be spending Sunday with us in Hangzhou.
The second extra day in Shanghai covered extremes. We started with a large Buddhist temple, then moved on the French Concession where we found a nice park with great adult exercise equipment, and we ended with the Barbie Wa Wa store! Yes, the largest Barbie store in the world is right in Shanghai! Five floors of Barbie plastic, the majority of it with blond hair! We had a fun time, walking the runway & checking out the displays!
The rest of the group arrived in Shanghai on Thursday night. Friday morning most of us went to the Yu Garden. An amazing garden built by a government official for his mother in about 1500. Of course, it is surrounded by a maze of little shops for all the tourists!
We all left for Hangzhou in the early afternoon and are now at the orphanage, about to spend a very full day checking all the children that are currently living in foster care. Hangzhou is the capital of Zhejiang province and this is to be the premier orphanage for the province. They just moved into a new set of buildings a year ago. They have two guest houses on the orphanage grounds so that staff can come from the smaller provincial orphanages for training. We are lucky to be allowed to stay in the guest houses which are very nice and helps with the commuting time since traffic in China is awful!
Right now as I am writing this it is early morning & I am listening to the sounds of young children & Chinese music. The nannies are busy feeding the children and starting the day. It is a very peaceful setting.
Cheryl

link to RTC 2009 photo album

2009-10-15T17:57:00.000-07:00

After a full day of touring the beautiful city of Dali, we are all sufficiently sunburned and ready to meet the group later today in Hangzhou. Here are a few photos of our cruise excursion on the lake to another temple and to a little fishing village. The red ribbons in the photo are the ones that the Buddhist monks give people as a blessing for their health and longevity. They are tied everywhere, even the trees. If you have a fig tree in your village, it is said that the village will prosper. The highlight for me was the hike up the mountain. At the top there was a little resort people could stay. The family who lives at the top of the mountain let us in their house. Right outside there is a little cave grotto for people to meditate.

link to RTC 2009 photo album

2009-10-15T07:01:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow we will be leaving Dali to meet up with the rest of the group in Hangzhou for the official start of our orphanage trip. We think they are on the plane right now and will be landing in Shanghai within hours. Yesterday we drove 4 hours by bus through gorgeous Chinese countryside watching farmers in their fields harvesting rice and other vegetables. We arrived in Dali, and toured a temple that went on and on like the Forbidden City in Beijing. The three pagodas in the photo withstood the earthquake in 1997 but 2 of them are a little tilted. We are enjoying our tour of western China a great deal but are very excited to meet up with the group and see the children in Hangzhou and Lanxi.

link to RTC 2009 photo album

Please take good care of your kids

2009-10-13T13:02:00.001-07:00

Today we traveled by bus to Tiger Leaping Gorge in the foot of the Himalayas. Really, I for one, would say it might be the most beautiful place on earth. Our group of 4 children had fun playing in the back of the bus on the way. We stopped briefly for a photo op overlooking the mountain. For the sake of tourism, there were monkeys in cages and the children were quite intrigued with them. Jack picked up some sunflower seeds and was able to let the monkey take it from him. Paige...the beautiful little red-haired girl, bent down to pick up a seed under the cage to do the same. (All of China is quite infatuated with Paige's red hair.) Apparently the monkey was too. Curious George put his little hand through the cage and grabbed Paige's hair firmly and would not let go! Our guide,Norman was able to extract the monkey's hand from the red locks but it left one little girl feeling quite traumatized for about 15 minutes.

2009-10-12T18:42:00.000-07:00

On October 12th we hiked in Yulong Snow Mountain in Lijiang China near Tibet. We are in the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains. We got to dress up in traditional dresses if we wanted to.We also got to ride a yak! Later we went to a museum and studied the culture of the people who have lived in the area for centuries. They have their own system of writing indigenous to their culture. They love to sing and dance and we saw their nightly performance. It was very beautiful and colorful!

2009-10-08T10:36:00.000-07:00

RTC is just tickled to announce that our beautiful new website is up and running. Thank you Cindy!!! Here is a link:

www.redthreadcharities.org

2009-10-05T12:30:00.000-07:00

We all know how adorable children with Down syndrome are, but did you know there are many children, such as this little girl, that are living in orphanages? It has recently been brought to my attention that there is a waiting list in the US to adopt these kids. Still, many remain institutionalized. My curiosity on this subject prompted me to join the yahoo group, Reece's Rainbow, a parents group whose children have Down syndrome. Many of them have happily adopted children with Down syndrome as well! My goodness! It is the most active and supportive group of parents I have ever encountered! It inspired me to organize a Down syndrome seminar for our volunteer trip. We will be presenting information on Down syndrome and associated medical conditions, PT techniques and OT techniques helpful to children with Down syndrome. We hope to inspire the orphanage staff that their children with DS are very adoptable. Families here in the US have emailed me photos of their children (bio and adopted), and over and over they describe their joy and delight in their child and cannot imagine life without them. I love the passage written by Emily Perl Kingsley called Welcome to Holland:

http://www.our-kids.org/Archives/Holland.html

2009-10-03T06:01:00.000-07:00

Okay all you volunteers...we are leaving for China in a week! Eat right, get plenty of sleep and stay healthy! Kids, bring books and games for the plane. Wear really comfortable stretchy clothes for the flight. Don't forget a neck pillow. And remember...this ain't no Yangtze River Cruise! It's way better!

2009-10-02T10:27:00.000-07:00

Babies with cleft issues are born everywhere in the world. A cleft lip is an opening in the upper lip between the mouth and nose. A cleft palate is when the roof of the mouth has a hole in it. There are varying degrees of severity of this condition but thankfully all the structures of the mouth are present, they just need to be put together by a skillful plastic surgeon. Some surgeries take as little as 45 minutes. Children with cleft issues are being adopted at a growing rate. I personally know 6 children adopted from China with cleft issues. And actually many more from parents groups on listserves. Red Thread Charities has donated cleft nursers and given instruction on the care and feeding of children with cleft.

2009-09-29T17:13:00.000-07:00

Many of the children living in Chinese orphanages have special needs. Needs such as cerebral palsy, cleft lip and palate, cardiac abnormalities, and limb deficits to name a few. Families in the US, Spain, Canada, and Sweden happily adopt these children with special needs and overwhelmingly say they cannot imagine their lives without their child.

Kids who live or have lived in an orphanage have some degree of sensory defensiveness and delay and can benefit enormously from OT and PT. Red Thread Charities has set up developmental training centers in 2 orphanages. The staff in each of these orphanages is trained and are able to independently carry out the techniques taught to them to help the children. Both orphanages plan to open their doors to families in the community with children who have special needs.

Beautiful country

2009-09-26T09:02:00.000-07:00

China is such a beautiful country. Here is an image taken last October in Guiping while hiking up a mountain. This mountain overlooks Guiping Social Welfare Institute in Guanxi province. It is home to over 40 children with special needs. Red Thread Charities has worked with this orphanage for 3 years. They are now independently running a PT / OT /special education program for the children.

Let's start blogging.

2009-09-26T07:33:00.000-07:00

Our October 2009 volunteer trip starts in just a couple of weeks. Some of us are leaving a little early on the 9th in order to tour for a few days in Lijiang. The 26 volunteers and 10 of our kids will meet up in Shanghai on October 15 and will travel to Hangzhou the following day to start working with the children and staff at Hangzhou Children's Welfare Institute. We will be examining the children and sharing techniques in physical and occupational therapy, and special education. We will be giving medical advice regarding the children needing it and lectures are planned and already translated into Mandarin! Each of us willl have an interpreter. I am inviting all the volunteers to help me keep this blog interesting for the duration of the trip. That shouldn't be too hard to do as it will surely be a fascinating time. It can be shared with all friends and family so they can actually see our insider's view of China.