My Sponsored Child, My Special Yi-fan

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I would like to share with you the story of Yi-fan.

I sponsored Yi-fan since 2006, until he passed away in 2011. I still remember joining the “The Living Room” gathering 2006 held by CEO with my son. I was first introduced to “Family Anew Foster Care Program” which arranged foster family for the disabled orphans. One of the guest speakers Dr. Tso Man-king shared with us the importance of family and parental love on children development. Another guest speaker Dr. Chan Yi-shing stressed that disabled children might have shorter life expectancy, therefore “time is crucial” for us to arrange foster family to those children as soon as possible.

On the way back home, my son urged me to join the program, “Time is crucial” he stressed. We then made our mind to sponsor Yi-fan the following day.

We first met Yi-fan and his foster mother in Luoyang, China. At that moment, Yi-fan was an over 60kg kid with brain palsy and epilepsy, suffered from lower limbs weakness and incontinence. Yi-fan’s foster mother was ill during our visit. In view of the medical conditions of Yi-fan and his foster mother, the children welfare institute decided to admitted Yi-fan back to the institute. I prayed God for healing, so that Yi-fan could be back to his foster family!

Yi-fan’s foster mother missed Yi-fan so badly that she could not help crying and stay awake all night after Yi-fan was admitted. She implored the Superintendent of the institute to let her bring Yi-fan home every day after she recovered. The Superintendent was so touched that he agreed to send Yi-fan home!

I came to Luoyang to visit Yi-fan every year and witnessed his amazing progress thanks to the love from his foster family! I met him, his foster parents and other foster families during 2010 “Family Anew Annual Reunion” zoo visit. I was deeply touched when Yi-fan ran towards me. Thanks to the care from his foster parents, Yi-fan turned into a happy kid who could walk and talk (though only simple phrases). Yi-fan enjoyed chatting with his foster father so much!

We are so sad when Yi-fan passed away, while we are particularly thankful to have the CEO program which brought us, Yi-fan and his foster family together. Yi-fan was so loved and cared by his foster family for 7 years despite the lack of biological parental relationship. Not only do Yi-fan’s life enriched with cherished moments of being loved, the presence of Yi-fan created ripples in the lives of his foster parents too. Yi-fan’s foster mother recalled, none of the doctors of the children welfare institute would have been optimistic with Yi-fan’s current improvement, while Yi-fan proved to them he could learn to walk, to run, to tell “Mommy” during toilet needs and to chat with “Daddy”… Perhaps Yi-fan’s words might not be fully comprehensible, however, Yi-fan and his foster father could communicate with each other so well and enjoy chatting so much! Yi-fan’s family showed how “life affects life” . Even now, every time I traveled to Luoyang, I would still talk with Yi-fan’s foster mother about our most valued, special child – Yi-fan…

Anita Au, January 2014