The charity of the month is Heart to Heart. Heart to Heart Shanghai provides support and financial assistance to needy Chinese children who require heart surgery to repair their congenital heart defects.

Emersyn went on the Heart to Heart hospital tour with school. When she came home, she told us about a 10-year little girl waiting for heart surgery. She was left by her Mom under a bridge as an infant as she has a large growth on her stomach, in addition to the heart problem. An older women found her and adopted her. The village raised money to be able to send the two of them to Shanghai to the Heart to Heart Hospital. She loves Barbie dolls and was given her first Barbie doll at the hospital. Emersyn and Eleri decided to sort through their Barbies and give her more dolls, clothes and some accessories. We also went through some of Emersyn’s old clothes and shoes to give her. Eleri’s clothes would be too small.

After she had surgery, we made a trip to the hospital. Before we left for the hospital, Emersyn told me I wasn’t allow to cry as it would make her feel bad. The little girl, Li Nanna, was all smiles. Emersyn said she looked so much better since the surgery. Emersyn had said her skin was blue from the lack of blood flow. Li Nanna’s grandmother cried when we gave her the bags of toys, clothes and shoes.

She is hoping to go home soon and will return later to remove a portion of her protruding hernia.

Living in China, the girls do see the need to help others. The school encourages giving with the charity of the month – starting young to promote a lifetime of giving.