The first grade girl scout troop, lead by Missy Kotkin, gave Baobei a sweet donation from their hearts today.  They each brought 30 RMB (some more) to help Baobei save lives.  Thanks, girls!  Keep up the great work!

First Grade Concordia Girl Scouts

Liv Svanheld and Jaden Deneef, 3rd graders from SCIS Pudong, are already talking about starting their own charity after visiting Baby Wade at SCMC. 
Liv’s mother, Inga, said, “They feel so privileged now and want to help children less fortunate than themselves.”
The Svanhelds are moving to Singapore soon, and Liv had the idea to have a garage sale and donate the money to Baobei.  Jaden and she organised all of the items and after two days of sales raised 1300 RMB for Baby Wade’s surgery.
Thanks girls!  Keep up the great work!
Baby Wade will return to Anhui province with his caretaker later this week after having surgery to reconnect his colostomy. 

Liv and Jaden presenting money to Christine Marote (Volunteer Coordinator) who is holding Baby Wade

Baby Wade- 1 year old- he even celebrated his birthday at SCMC with a small cake from Baobei

A little late for the blog, but had to document this mark in history… we recently celebrated our 2 year birthday!  Rebecca Neilsen, Baobei volunteer, hosted this lovely event which took place near the Bund at the lovely, historic Hamilton House restaurant.  We had about 80 guests, including Dr. Bao from SCMC.  The highlight was testimonies from healing homes who will say good bye to their “baobeis” for adoption, and others who have been able to adopt these precious children as their own.  Enough words, let the pictures tell the story…  Thanks to all for helping us make these first two years a great success!  Our volunteer generosity makes our work possible!  Together we have helped over 45 children, half of whom are matched for adoption!

Maya enjoys yet one more cupcake!

Liu came into our lives in 2007 via BaoBei Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Shanghai that provides life saving surgeries for Chinese orphans. She was born with an Encephalocele (a rare condition which causes hydrocephalus). Liu was abandoned at an early age, and was subsequently taken into care at an orphanage in a province close to Shanghai. BaoBei Foundation became involved in helping Liu through a visit to her orphanage by one of their staff and a doctor from Shanghai Children’s Medical Center. She was found to be in need of a critical neuro-surgery that could only be done in Shanghai. Baobei Foundation’s volunteer staff helped to raise the funds necessary to help Liu and then arranged the aftercare she needed to be sure she did not have any complications.

My wife Claudine was aware of this, and offered to provide a Healing Home for Liu during her recovery.

So this timid, withdrawn, weak child came into our home, unable to communicate or walk, and immediately became part of our family.

We cared for Liu for 2 years, until my family moved back to UK . During that time, with much love from Claudine and my daughters Olivia and Sophia, Liu blossomed into a strong, confident, talkative, jumpy, beautiful young girl, and is now in the process of International adoption. We wish her adoptive family all the best fortune in having this approved by China’s authorities as soon as possible.

We became acutely aware, while living in China, that organizations like Baobei Foundation play a vital role in saving the lives of children with critical medical needs. The word ” Baobei ” means, Precious Child. Liu will always be a very special Baobei to our family. It is clearly apparent that without the help of this foundation Liu’s life would have turned out quite differently. We also know that there are many more who need help.

I am therefore undertaking a 250 km walk through the Western part of the Gobi Desert in July 2010, by competing in the Gobi March, as part of RacethePlanet (http://www.racingtheplanet.com/), in an effort to raise funds for BaoBei Foundation. This challenge is tiny in comparison to the challenges these Baobei’s encounter daily in just trying to cope and adapt to their every changing lives. I hope you will click here, and make a contribution that will change their lives.

Best wishes to all

David Wallace

TEACHING children about helping others while also encouraging their creative talents was the aim of a recent competition held by Shanghai coffee chain Wagas.

In collaboration with four international schools and pre-schools, the chain held a competition for students to design artwork.

Jacquelyn Wu, 10, of Concordia International School, Jessica Wang, seven, of Shanghai American School, and Sophie Xu, five, of Kids Bright Star won the “Kids Help The Kids” art competition.

The winners have had their artworks printed on gift cards that are sold in all Wagas stores to raise money for Shanghai charity Baobei Foundation.

The gift cards cost from 15 yuan (US$2) each and all proceeds go toward the Baobei Foundation.

Baobei means precious child in Chinese and the charity was founded by Chinese and foreigners to raise money for lifesaving neurological and gastro-intestinal surgery on orphan infants and young children.

As well as surgery, the foundation also provides intensive post-operative care and therapy to ensure that the children make a full recovery.

Baobei’s managing director, Carol Hoag, says that since the foundation was launched two years ago it has helped 45 children have operations that cost about 42,000 yuan each.

Wagas has raised more than 80,000 yuan since partnering with the charity last year.

“The money raised through Wagas has effectively saved two lives and they have also helped raise awareness about the vital work we do through displays in their shops,” Hoag says.

“This is something that we can’t always do that well easily ourselves so it is great exposure.”

Baobei works with Dr Bao Nan and the Shanghai Children’s Medical Center (SCMC).

Dr Bao donates his time to travel to orphanages to visit children in need and is one of China’s foremost experts in pediatric neurosurgery.

Wagas has run a number of fund-raising initiatives through its 14 outlets, including a Baobei tea that raised 60,000 yuan and a Thanksgiving dinner that raised 15,000 yuan.

Wagas part-owner Jackie Yun says the cafe and restaurant chain had chosen to support the charity because money raised was used for urgent lifesaving surgery for some of China’s most vulnerable young lives. “With Baobei we see the immediate results of how the funds we raised are used,” Yun says.

In an example of the work the foundation does, Hoag says they had transported an infant from Henan Province that morning and she would undergo surgery the same day.

Baobei has funded nine operations since the start of the year.

The donors, many of them from Shanghai, are usually individuals and community groups organizing fund-raising events.

“We have been able to do surgery for 45 children so far and half of those are already matched for adoption or have been adopted so it is going even better than we initially thought,” says Hoag.

“Seventy percent of the money we raised comes from Shanghai and 30 percent from the United States, and because we have this great partnership with SCMC we get a lot of good attention and people can really see what we do. They visit the babies and help care for them after their surgery.”

Donations for the US-registered charity can be made via its Website at www.baobeifoundation.org.

Wagas and its new bakery outlet Baker & Spice will be selling the cards throughout the Chinese Year of the Tiger.

Ann Kedl (Childcare Director, Co-Founder) and Hanna Bei recently enjoyed some time together!  Hanna is thriving in her healing home while her complicated medical issues are still being addressed in Shanghai.  Ann works feverishly every day (talking with doctors, taking kids to appointments, researching, teaching our staff, etc.) to be sure our many Baobei children are getting the best medical attention available to them.  She certainly has earned her title with these precious children as no one is a better health care advocate for them than their “Auntie” Ann!!!