We hope you all have heard about the wonderful Wagas partnership Baobei is enjoying.  Our information is prominently displayed in all of their restaurants in Shanghai, and for the months of May and June, they are promoting a special iced tea called “Orange Baobei Tea”.  I have enjoyed a few glasses already!  SO DELICIOUS!  It has orange jam and chunks of orange pieces in it for a perfect flavor- full of ice and so refreshing for the hot weather!  They are 30 RMB per glass and Wagas will donate 50 % to Baobei.  Jackie Yun, General Manager, told me today that sales are already going well.  So- when given the choice of where to eat/drink in May/June, especially consider Wagas cafes.  Their food is always fresh and healthy and MUCH better priced than other Western food restaurants.

Wagas restaurant locations…  www.wagas.com.cn/locations.aspx

Training Wagas managers about Baobei’s mission.  Don’t the Baobei t-shirts look great on them?

Jackie Yun, Wagas GM, is enthusiastic about helping Baobei and enjoyed holding Baby Samuel

Orange Baobei Tea

Ray Hoag, Baobei supporter from USA, enjoys Orange Baobei Tea while visiting Shanghai

Several days into our winter break from Western Kentucky University, my boyfriend Eric and I were packing to come be with my family in Shanghai for the holidays. As we were making a few purchases at the grocery store just before leaving, I told him I needed to get a few things to decorate the Baobei’s beds with. We ran through the craft aisles picking out some wooden animals and foam stickers that are like the ones you all have seen since last summer (Eric, my mom Jennie, and I, alongside the nurses and Tingting put sticker sand posters everywhere on the fifth floor.) We arrived home and after a few days of jet-lag, we were able to return to the familiar halls of SCMC, decorations in hand, and were greeted by Dr. Bao, Head Nurse, the rest of the nursing staff, Lilly, and Jessica. After a few minutes of reunion hugs, we had to see our new Baobei!

Neither of us speak very advanced Mandarin, but Eric and I trotted over to Joe’s bed (who we affectionately call Joe-Joe or Joe Baby) and hugged all over his Ayi. Then we woke Joe up kissing him and laughing at the funny faces he was making at us. After we gave Joe a good diaper change and a nice big bottle, he drifted back to sleep and we broke out the decorations.

Ayi helped us, giggling the whole time, as we added a rainbow of colors to Joe’s room. Eric is quite tall and only needed a chair to raise him high enough to put stickers on the ceiling for Joe to see every time he opened his little eyes. I was by Joe’s side with Dr. Bao for a few procedures and even began calling Ayi our “Momma.” Although we couldn’t communicate that well, it was the love that did all the talking we needed. Every day, we hugged and kissed and played with Joe – it was like we had been old friends for years. No one has ever been so kind to my mother, Eric, or I. Eventually Joe got a roommate and Ayi taught the brand new parents of a sick baby boy how to take care of him! They also got some stickers and we welcomed them into our little family, showing them how to make bottles, take their babies’ temperature, and not to panic each time they heard a sneeze or saw some spittle.

Several days into our stay, we were blessed to receive two more Baobeis and decorated their beds as well. Some of the parents of other children in the hospital began to ask if they could have some of the stickers, and of course we gave them a heaping handful, and the sticker explosion of 2009 began…

Each day we would come to the hospital, people would crowd Joe’s room and we were all confused why we had become so popular. Eventually, Ayi pointed to the stickers in an attempt to explain, and as the crowd of onlookers got excited, we realized we had started something. By the end of the day, every headboard above every bed on the fifth floor was covered in vibrantly shaded shapes and so were the children. At one point, we even saw a small boy who had been so down just a few minutes earlier take off running through the hall with stickers plastered all over his face, laughing all the way. I can’t begin to tell you how many pictures we had to take and how many times we were called “Auntie” and “Uncle” for so many different children. We laughed and hugged every family as they helped us add a little “fun” to every bed. I couldn’t believe how well received we were and how excited everyone was over some stickers!

Once we returned back to the states, I really began to think about what had happened at the hospital. At first, maybe it was about having some stickers for the kids, but after a while, everyone was so excited because of the love and respect we were all showing to one another. It was the hugs, the kisses, the laughter and the joy of community that now filled the hallways; that’s what made the difference. We used every single sticker we had, hugged everyone we met, and realized love is all that matters sometimes.

Whenever you make your next visit to SCMS, say hello to the families and give them a hug for me. Share your love, brighten the spirits of the children, and be the person you’d want to meet while in the hospital with your own sick child. Be the person who makes a difference.

That’s the reason we’re all here with Baobei: because we want to fight for the lives of these children. This isn’t about the short-term – this is about the long haul. These children are so small, so sick, and yet they are innocent lives which are brand new. The joy of life must be treasured, no matter the cost, no matter the sacrifice, because as citizens not of a country, but of the entire world, we have the responsibility of looking out for one another. When you become a part of this foundation, you quickly realize this. All of our volunteers help because we believe that life is precious and that love, accompanied by the work of the gifted doctors at SCMC, can cure so many things. We have the ability, the drive, and the open arms to care for some of the sickest children in the world. While it is expensive, hard work, and difficult to always understand, we do this work because these children cannot stand up for themselves. Instead of living our lives in selfishness and ignorant bliss, we instead choose to live life doing the right thing and helping those who need it the most. Our volunteers aren’t here for self validation or for a temporary stint of work at the hospital – they’re here for good. Even if not in the physical sense, each and every volunteer from Baobei has a spirit that never leaves the hospital or our babies because we have a love that “sticks.”

Lauren E. Mauser

Please come out to enjoy the beautiful Spring weather and support your favorite charity. Baobei Foundation is excited to announce that we will be hosting a fundraising table at the upcoming Spring Bazaars being held by the Community Center of Shanghai.

We will be offering various Baobei Foundation items for sale at the events so please stop by and pick up those last minute gifts for friends and family before you head home for the Summer.

Alongside our own fundraising, we are also proud to announce that we are sharing our table with Gina and Jen of Baobei Baby Carriers of Shanghai (http://baobeibabycarriers.wordpress.com). For every baby carrier sold at the event, 50rmb will be donated to Baobei Foundation.

Finally we would like to say a huge thank you to another of our incredible partners, Chic Shanghai. These amazing ladies will be donating 100% of all funds raised through the sale of their beautiful bags, purse inserts and scarves.

Please drop by and say hello, we would love to see you there and thank you for helping raise much needed funds for our precious babies.

The first bazaar will be held on Friday 8^th May, 2009 from 9am – 3pm at the CCS location in Puxi (No. 201, 5/F, Lane 3215 Hong Mei Road, Shanghai - behind City Shop, off of Hong Song Dong Lu).

On Friday 15^th May, 2009 from 9am-3pm the Bazaar will be at the CCS location in Pudong at 418 Jinxiu East Road, Green Hills Club House.

Gigi is a beautiful two year old girl with big beautiful eyes and a strong attachment to her Chinese foster mom. She is from a rural province and Baobei was recently contacted regarding a tumor that appeared to be growing on her lower back.

Gigi was not new to Shanghai, before Baobei Foundation was started she came to SCMC as an infant to receive surgery for a fetal teratoma. It is believed that this teratoma has resurfaced and is now malignant cancer.We have spent many hours researching her condition, talking to doctors, emailing other doctors and feel very certain that the path that the doctors at SCMC have charted for her will give her the best chance at a full life. At first we were skeptical that chemo-therapy and then surgery would be able to provide so much hope, but we have had her treatment reviewed and everyone we’ve consulted is hopeful she can overcome this cancer.

She has had her first round of chemo-therapy and we have stood amazed as the large tumor has shrunk to un-noticeable size. The pain she was experiencing when she arrived from the pressure on her bowel and bladder has subsided. It is difficult to watch the effects of the Chemo-therapy but we are hopeful these treatments will quickly shrink the tumor to an operable size and then it can be removed.

As you can imagine, this treatment is costly. Gigi’s Chemo-therapy and surgery will likely be the most costly we have encountered, 150,000-200,000rmb total ($22,000-29,000USD). Many of us have loved ones who have fought cancer and we understand the physical and emotional struggle that goes on. We are hopeful that this understanding will lead people to consider giving toward this dear girl.