By Mo Qiuping
 Haixia helps her grandmother to wash the clothes. |
Happy families are always similar while unhappy families are varied
Eleven-year-old Wei Haixia is a sponsored child living in the project community of Mashan County in Guangxi. She is also a left-behind child from a single family. When she was 3 and a half years old, her mother left home and never came back.
Haixia is an unfortunate child. Her parents left her and went to work in Hainan Province when she was 3 years old. Half a year later, her mother disappeared suddenly. So her father decided to stay in Hainan to look for her mother but since then had not sent a penny home.
Haixia was raised by her grandparents and had tasted very little love from her parents. Her grandparents earned a living by farming but income was minimal. It could only cover their basic needs and Haixia's study fees, nothing extra could be saved.
Girl with April in her eyes
In the morning of April 6, 2008, Wei Haixia was under an attack of fever. So, her grandparents took her to a local clinic. In the afternoon, she was diagnosed with hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD), and was then transferred to Mashan People's Hospital for therapy.
Knowing that Haixia was diagnosed with HFMD, her grandparents were like cats on a hot tin roof as they had no savings to pay for the therapy. Haixia needed to be isolated from other patients and the news was spread out quickly in the community. To pay Haixia's medical fees, her grandfather ran around to borrow money from relatives but it was difficult. When he came near the houses of relatives, they shut the door immediately and did not let him in.
In order to borrow money and save the life of Haixia, her grandfather even wept and knelt down in front of the relatives but few of them had response. One of the relatives agreed to lend him money at last. He however threw the money from the window for not wanting her grandfather to go inside.
Misfortune never comes single but we shall overcome
Three days after Haixia's diagnosis, her cousin was unfortunately diagnosed with HFMD also as they lived in the same house. It was really a bolt from the blue for the grandparents!
The two cousins then became patients in the same ward. The then ten-year-old Haixia was obedient and followed the instruction from doctors. Every time the nurse gave her an injection, she would endure the pain by grapping her grandmother and did not drop a tear. In order to set a good example for her cousin, Haixia took the initiative to stretch out her hand for injection, even though she needed to suffer the pain several times a day.
Rainbow of hope
When World Vision's staff knew that Haixia and her cousin had HFMD, all felt worried as the infection could claim their lives. We visited their family at once and decided to subsidize part of the medical fees to meet their pressing need. Most important, we did not keep distance from them but were concerned about their needs. It was our care that brought them hope and strength to overcome the problem.
After receiving our assistance, Haixia lived with her family happily. When we arrived, she was picking grains from corns with her maternal grandmother. Their smiles made us feel warm.
Haixia now understands the importance of personal hygiene. She will not drink un-boiled water or eat raw or cold food as she knows that illness finds its way through the mouth. Though young, Haixia does housework and washes clothes when she comes back from school. She often reminds her grandmother of washing her hands too.
World Vision brings changes to children and community
Haixia's grandmother was excited to tell us that World Vision was highly praised by the community. It was because World Vision had deployed many projects such as subsidizing the construction of academic buildings, cement playgrounds, water ponds and providing teaching facilities in schools.
In 2003, World Vision subsidized the construction of roads in the natural village where Haixia lived. In the past, people had no choice but carried the goods on their shoulders to go to the market. But now they can transport the agricultural products by vehicle. As it is convenient to transport the goods now, prices of the agricultural products can be raised and so can people's income. Some families can now afford to buy their own motorcycles. Moreover, it is convenient and safe for Haixia to go to school now.
After World Vision came and worked for the village, it organized different activities in schools every year. Especially on International Children's Day, World Vision would join the school to hold activities together including recreational activities, "My Family" drawing campaign, badminton match, family talent competition etc. These activities enriched students' school life and brought them a happy childhood.
In 2008, World Vision subsidized the building of water ponds in Haixia's natural village. Each pond had a cover to keep the water clean. Haixia did not need to worry about shortage of water anymore and she could use the water to clean the house.
Repayment for love
Any tribulation is just an experience of life. Poverty can be but controlled destiny in our hands. God would help those who fight against difficulties.
It is joy to learn that neighbors who had excluded Haixia and her family before showed their concern to Haixia later. It is indeed true that sometimes little concern and support can help the patient recover and make him strong and thankful. The drive behind the action of care is love of course.
For the love she gets, Haixia says, "I will study hard to repay my family, my society and my country."
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