Update June 2006 

Dear Friends and Supporters,

We as a family will be taking a long-awaited vacation in July and August. We will visit our 17year old son’s college in Australia (Ryan graduated high school this month and starts a 4 year course in Sound Engineering in October). We will visit the grandchildren there and then Rob and I will have a 2 week vacation just by ourselves. We will also see our daughter, Amber, off to Medical school in Scotland in September.

Next months newsletter will be written by Becky Plummer and the Home will be run by a number of medically trained volunteers during our absence.  Christina Williamson, our US nurse who was with us for 2.5 years will return, Dr RL Foung a pediatrician from Hong Kong and a new volunteer, Lynsay Lewis, a Medical Assistant from Oregon will be here to care for the children. I feel confidant that we are leaving the children in good hands. Christina will be answering all my emails for the 2 months that I am away.

We welcome Bill and Lynsay Lewis and their 2 children as part of our team. They will serve with us for a year.

We had a Board meeting this month. We have an advisory board of 8 people from different walks of life. We presented our audited financial report, current status of the children and future plans. The board was very enthusiastic about what we have achieved and supportive of how we plan to expand in the near future. Our financial report is available to anyone who would like a copy. Please email robin@hopefosterhome.com if you would like one.

Briefly, in the past 5 months from Jan 1^st 2006, 19 children received surgeries, and 10 surgeries are pending. 2 children were adopted and 2 are pending. There were 23 new admissions and 8 deaths. We currently care for 63 children, and employ 142 local staff.

1) Foster Home Shunyi, Beijing ( 28 beds)

The babies  

Ling Wan Feng has been admitted to Suzhou hospital under the care of his Hong Kong neurosurgeon for a revision of his shunt to relieve the pressure in his brain. 2 more children Dang Da Jian and Dang Jian Yu are still in Hong Kong recovering from bladder surgery.

 Dang Fu Xing is back in Beijing after successful heart surgery in Singapore and Fu Tian Suo is home after successful surgery in Hong Kong

  Ling Wan Feng    Dang Fu Xing    Fu Tian Suo      Dang Da Jian      Dang Jian Yu

Guo Lei, (cleft lip and palate)  Dang Chun Sheng, (hand deformity) Ling Guang Wen (Cleft lip and Palate) and Fu Rui Jie (cleft lip and palate) had surgery in  Nanjing and have returned well and are recovering The babies with cleft palates will need further surgery in the near future.

   Guo Lei      Dang Chun Sheng   Guang Wen       Rui Jie

We brought in 2 new babies Fu Hai Xia and Fu Jin Hua. Both have had their cleft lips repaired but need surgery on their cleft palates.

Fu Hai Xia         Fu Jin Hua

We have 8 babies waiting for surgery on their lips and/or palates.

We have adopted a 2 year old English Labrador, called Coffee. The kids are a bit wary of him but he is well behaved and quite passive around them.

2) Love Without Boundaries Shunyi Outreach Foster Program. ( currently 13 children with possible maximum of 20)

We have a new family who has qualified to join this program and we have moved Matthew Fu Guo Qing ( Spina Bifida, repaired) to their home. An existing family has requested a second child so they have been given Olivia Luo Fu Lu (Clubbed feet, repaired). Our staff report that both children are thriving in their new homes.

3) HFH Special Care Unit, Jiaozuo, Henan Province: ( 12 beds)

We have had 1 death here this month, Faith Fu Chang Ting (infected myelomeningocele,) died on June 7^th.  Sadly we moved Tiffany Fu Xiao Tian (paraplegic, hydrocephalus, a long history of blocked and infected shunts ever since she was born, several bouts of pneumonia) to the Special Care unit from Beijing. We also admitted Lena Fu Xue Lang (severe brain damage) who has been moved back and forth from the orphanage to our unit due to lack of beds. She condition is critical and she may not survive. Fu Chang Ru a newborn with severe neurological defects was also admitted. She only survived 5 days. Total admission to date is 74 and 31 have died over the past 18 months.

Volunteers.

Lyn G. is back replacing Jamie I. and Janice B. from the US.

4) LWB Special Care Unit ( 12 beds)

 This unit is running well under the supervision of Lynsay Lewis. Our wheel chairs have arrived and we await a Singaporean team due in September to train local staff to do regular physiotherapy on the children.

5) HFH Special Care Unit, Luoyang, Henan Province: ( 45 beds)

The architects have looked at our plans and say that we will be able to do all that we want to as far as renovations are concerned. We have met with the Director of the orphanage who gives us his blessing and will allow us to run the unit as we intend to.  Work should begin next month and be finished by September.

Our Most Sincere Thanks To;

1) AMOS, a group from Australia for the donation of 2 double strollers.

2)  Hanna P. For the wonderful gift of a car to Hope Foster Home

3)    Trina Walker and her quilting group who provided so many beautiful quilts for our new Special care unit

4)  Edward C. of Hong Kong for meeting our need sent out last month, for costs of Fu Jin Jin’s recent surgery

5)   To our awesome board members who guide us with wisdom and encourage us with passion.

Our Needs:

1)       We are in need of antibiotics for the children (ages 0-4 years). So if there are any doctors out there who are willing to donate these, we are in need specifically of Augmentin, Erythromycin, and Sulphatrimetroprim. These are on-going needs so any amounts will be gratefully received. We would prefer if the medications were not expired.

2)     We are in need of 1 inch wide gathered lace and craft glue both of which are not easy to find here.

With gratitude

Joyce and Robin Hill

“Run in God’s name and let the world stand in wonder” From Chariots of Fire