Happy Chinese New Year!!!

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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.