More baby boys!!

The cleft home recently welcomed three new baby boys--Tyler, Matthew, and Louis. These boys all came from the same province and traveled many, many hours to get here! The bus left their home town at 7 am, and didn't arrive in Anhui until 9 pm! It's always a long journey, but this trip was made especially grueling because the bus broke down at one point and took over two hours to repair! We want to especially thank the nannies who brought these boys all that way. We believe that their willingness to undergo such a long trip speaks to the acknowledged value and need for the services and care we are able to provide to these children.

Like most cleft babies, Tyler, Matthew, and Louis have a very hard time feeding and struggled to gain weight at the orphanage. All three boys arrived at the cleft home weak and sick. Matthew and Louis are recovering from their colds and long journey at the cleft home, but Tyler needed to be admitted to the hospital. The state of all of these babies upon their arrival, especially the oldest two, illustrates how important it is for cleft-affected babies to have access to adequate nutrition.


Matthew is about two months old,
which makes him the youngest of the three...


But we are happy to say that he is one alert little baby!

Louis is almost six months old...and greatly enjoys sucking his thumb!
(That will be a hard habit to break when it's time for surgery!)

Tyler is eight months old. He is being treated at Anhui Children's Hospital for dehydration, malnutrition, and pneumonia, but we are happy to report that he has now moved from ICU to regular care. At the time of his admission to the hospital, he weighed just over 7 lbs.

We thank you for your continued support, which enables us to provide babies like Tyler, Matthew, and Louis with the specialized, individualized, care they need to survive. Please keep these babies, especially Tyler, in your thoughts and prayers.