From the Heart
Orphan care in China is changing, and that change benefits children. Over the past year, Philip Hayden Foundation has shared many of those changes with you – from Covid to government programs to fewer orphans.
Extreme quarantine protocols to prevent the spread of Covid have affected urban areas of Shanghai, Beijing, and rural communities. Quarantines have restricted access to healthcare, therapy, and food supplies. But what is the impact on vulnerable children? First, it is harder for orphanages and rural families to access specialized medical care in Beijing because travel has been closed. Second, the cost of nutritious food and consumable supplies like diapers has increased, but the government stipend to the orphanages has not.
For the past decade, the Ministry of Civil Affairs has renovated orphanages, provided more access to routine surgeries for orphans with birth disorders, and increased access to therapy and education. The One Child Policy has been replaced with one that favors two children and allows an even larger family in some parts of the country. As a result, adoption within China has increased too. Bottom line? The number of orphans in China has been decreasing steadily since 2012. But the percentage of orphans with disabilities, and the severity of those disabilities, is increasing. 98% of orphans in China have disabilities.
Finally, while there are fewer orphans, there are more unsupported children. Many of these children are impoverished, live with a disabled single parent or grandparent, and need your help to survive and thrive. Local charities are springing up in urban areas and sometimes in rural areas to help meet these needs.
These changes in society have prompted PHF to restate our 25-year commitment to vulnerable children – particularly in China. At the same time, Tim and Pam relocated to Yucatán, Mexico, to meet the needs of vulnerable children there. So here is our updated mission:
Providing humanitarian aid, medical care and therapy, education, and vocational training with compassion to at-risk orphans and vulnerable children with disabilities.
Philip Hayden Foundation is now working with vulnerable children with disabilities – not just orphans. And we are in Mexico and China and considering the needs of children with disabilities in other impoverished regions of the world as well.
As a result, we’ve updated our website and domain name to reflect this broadening focus. You can find our new website at phfcaresforkids.org. As you explore the site, you will find that our commitment to China has not diminished but is refocused. We will strengthen our collaborations with local charities in China and other parts of the world. As you donate, you will continue to be able to direct your contributions to the region or program that you choose. Of course, your donation to the general fund will allow PHF the flexibility to use your funds where they are most needed.
Baby Lia Update
Last May, we introduced you to Baby Lia in rural Asia. Lia was born way too early, but the heroic intervention by the doctors at the local hospital saved her life. Unfortunately, she needed oxygen for survival because of a respiratory infection right after birth. As a result, Baby Lia’s vision was affected.
Lia and her family could finally travel to Beijing to see a vision specialist. Beijing had been under Covid quarantine for a long time, making travel impossible. Your donations covered the costs of travel, lodging, and the specialist. Unfortunately, the specialist determined that the damage to Lia’s eyes was permanent.
Lia’s family will continue to struggle with this heartbreaking news. But they are confident that they have done everything possible to help their beloved daughter. Now they will learn ways to help their blind daughter thrive.
Introducing Matias
Introducing Matias! Matias and his mom live in Yucatán, Mexico. This young boy has Treacher Collins Syndrome (TCS) and needs your help.
So, what is TCS? A genetic mutation causes this disorder, affecting how the bones of the face grow and develop. Bone abnormalities affect more than facial appearance; they can affect hearing, vision, eating, sleeping, swallowing, breathing, and digestion. Researchers have identified three different mutations, and the severity of the disorder changes from person to person.
Matias has already had many surgeries, but he is growing – so it’s time for more surgeries. Matias and his mom must travel to Guadalajara to consult with specialists so that the next surgeries can be considered and planned. Doctors have already volunteered their time for medical consultations, and others have contributed airfare and hotel stays. But Matias and his mom need funds for the ten days they will be in the city. Philip Hayden Foundation is donating funds to cover the daily living expenses of Matias and his mom for their stay.
Access to medical care changes lives. The surgeries planned for Matias are not just cosmetic. They will correct his digestive system and so impact his survival. Your donations to the PHF medical fund continue to transform lives, one child at a time.
Medical Outreach Day in Mérida, Mexico
We are continuing to work together with Red de Ciudadanos de Mérida supporting those marginalized families living in the south of the city. In addition, this month, we once again supported the largest free Health Fair in the entire Yucatán state. In Yucatán, heart disease is the leading cause of death, and type 2 diabetes is the second leading cause of death and disability, according to an independent population health research organization based at the University of Washington School of Medicine, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). Both these diseases are often silent, but individuals can improve the outcome with lifestyle changes.
Doctors and nurses provided more than 800 free medical consultations at the Health Fair, screening for
- Diabetes
- High Blood Pressure
- Oral Health
- Eye Exams
- Psychological counseling
- Nutritional counseling
Doctors also taught workshops for breast cancer and prostate cancer detection. Parasites are common in this warm climate, and nurses treated more than 300 children.
In an effort to draw in as many participants as possible, volunteers worked hard to create fun for the entire family. While the parents were seeing doctors, the kids could make take-home crafts or jump in a bounce house provided by PHF. In addition, everyone enjoyed a tasty snack of bananas and milk!
Milk and Eggs
The community just outside Mérida is impoverished and lacks access to nutritious food – particularly protein. Each adult needs around 50 grams of protein daily, a challenging prospect in a region where the daily diet is primarily plant-based. Philip Hayden Foundation is collaborating with Red de Ciudadanos de Mérida to provide 1200 liters of milk and 3000 eggs per month to families in that community. The milk and eggs are a welcome addition to the dinner table. Young and old alike benefit from this outreach, and growing children need protein for healthy bodies and minds.
Over 15% of the people living in Yucatán, Mexico, live in poverty and have poor access to food. The Borgen Project defines it this way, “the problem does not lie in food unavailability but in the fact that areas living in poverty do not make enough money to purchase necessary goods.” Your donations to PHF’s Humanitarian Aid fund will provide milk and eggs to children, promoting long-term flourishing.
Plan Now for Year End
Year-end contribution statements will be sent by mail in January 2023. If your physical address has changed, will you let us know? You can update your records now by visiting our self-service portal, then click Access Account. You will need to enter your email address, then access your account from a secure link sent to your email address. You can even check your donation history while you are logged in!
If you prefer, call Lori at 866-526-3712 or email her directly at Lori.Baxter@phfcaresforkids.org. Now you can also text Lori at 951-676-4010 if that is convenient! Your donations are transforming the lives of at-risk children in Mexico and China.