The Long Road to Recovery

As the world continues to struggle with COVID-19, life as we know it seems to have changed or stopped. Since Jan 2020, I have made a continuous effort to keep CA productive and stay in the spirit of serving the underserved. It is not easy but instead of looking at our own problems, it is important to remember to give thanks for what we have and keep a compassionate heart for those who are really suffering. I want to share something positive with you.

Recently our colleagues wrote an update to me about the progress of a Tibetan girl called Lala. When I looked at the photos, it brought tears to my eyes, the image of this gorgeous girl flooded my mind with memory and thankfulness that God rewrote Lala’s story, turning what was impossible to become possible.

A very unhappy Lala before the surgeries

Lala was born with congenital scoliosis, it has severely impacted her breathing and daily mobility and she was shorter than children about her age. As she got older, her condition worsened. However, Lala’s family barely made ends meet and did not have extra money to send her to see a doctor. When I heard about her situation, I felt deeply sorry for Lala, we should help her to avoid further deterioration that might endanger her life. As such, we offered immediate comprehensive assistance and provided subsidies for her treatment.

Our worker accompanied Lala to her final doctor’s visit

In 2007, we sent Lala to Qinghai Red Cross Hospital to receive proper consultation, once the doctor made the diagnosis, Lala was referred to a pediatric orthopedic surgeon for immediate operations to prevent her heart and lungs from being affected by the curing spine. Over a ten-year period, the brave little girl has undergone ten surgeries to keep the spine aligned and to allow Lala to continue to grow. The recovery process has been difficult and often Lala was filled with tears and in agony, she hardly complained and borne her pain well. During this healing process, our social workers were always with her to encourage her and her family to look to the future and have hope.

Getting ready to be discharged from hospital

Lala progressed well. Her height increased from 132cm (4'5") to 146cm (4'9.5"), her curvature of her spine saw a significant improvement, from 90 degrees to just under 15 degrees. Lala is now 14 years old and studying Secondary 1. She is a hard working student and plans to go to university, after graduation she wants to help those in need in the community!

Lala, filled with joy at being able to simply stand up straight

Lala’s story is not unique in Qinghai because of extreme poverty, many parents cannot afford treatments for their children. Saving children and seeing them able to live life to the fullest is a great reward to me and our staff for each child is precious. I thank God for these children that crossed my path and my prayer is always with them. Special thanks to the Adrian and Jennifer Cheng Foundation Ltd. for their sponsorship and for making Lala's miraculous healing possible.

Emergency Appeal- Dear friend, I need to ask for your help. We're desperately trying to serve Hong Kong's vulnerable children but we're facing a funding shortfall. Would you consider donating your HK $10,000 government handout (or a portion of it) so Christian Action can continue serving the needy? To donate please click here or click here to read more. Thank you!