On Saturday, we visited the Suzhou orphanage. I went with YongMing and with Lei Cheng.
(from left to right: Jin YongMing, Perry Perse, Karen Perse, me, Director Shu, Lei Cheng, Nan Yian - Siemens Hearing Aid)
YongMing drove us in his new car, assisted by his new handy-dandy GPS/cellphone. This all-in-one device sat neatly on a holder on the dashboard, and with the aid of downloadable maps, guided us all the way to our destination.
We visited Karen and Perry Perse, American ex-patriates that are part of an ex-pat association that are doing organized volunteer work in the orphanage. They have some 40 women that volunteer at the orphanage, going in 2 shifts per day, 5 times per week from 9 to 11am, and then again from 2-4pm. Currently they work in the infant rooms, just holding the babies and feeding them.
Currently there are 60+ children there, 80% of whom have special needs, from cleft palate, to heart defects, to mental disabilities.
Karen is a really sharp woman, and she looks to have a lot of local ex-pat support, but she could still use our help.
She's currently trying to figure out how to reduce the mold and mildew in the orphanage, caused by the pads on the beds, and the wooden frames at the base. I told her we would help with brainstorming some solutions.
She also is in need of rash creme.
Also, there are 4 older children with mental disability that are in need of special wheelchairs which will get them up and about instead of just laying on a bed all day. They have the money to support such an orthopedic chair, but they just need to find out where they can get one.
We also were fortunate to have along with us Ms. Nan Yian (Nilly), from the Siemens Hearing aid facility in Suzhou. We took some photos of some children we have sponsored in the past for hearing aids through Siemens discount.
I was also able to take a look at a young girl that YongMing and I have been working on to assist with since 2004. She looks bright and healthy! I just wish she could find her parents soon!
We also verified donations of a Library and bouncy seats
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