She’s been through a lot, but she’s full of joy

She’s been through a lot, but she’s full of joy

Nan Nan runs and tumbles with her friend Bear, a big, brown stuffed animal she drags through the kitchen, hallway, and every room in the Webster house she makes ring with her laughter. I am here for dinner with my friends, Jim and Beckie of Virginia Beach, and their daughter Stephanie Webster, who has escorted Nan Nan from China. It’s rewarding to meet this special little girl who has traveled from Jiangjin to the United States for medical care. Stephanie has lived and worked in China for the past six years and is the director of the China branch of Australia Relief and Mercy Services. Many helping hands came together to on her behalf, including one of MMA’s programs, the National Patient Travel Center.

Two-year-old Jin Fu Nan (her Chinese name) is an orphan who went to the Children’s Hospital of Alabama in Birmingham to undergo surgery for a split spinal cord. The six-hour operation, conducted on December 22, “was a complete success,” Stephanie said. If untreated, the condition leads to nerve damage and loss of function.

 

The other parties that helped Nan Nan besides the National Patient Travel Center are Drs. Jeffrey Blount and Charles Law from Alabama Children’s Hospital; the Children’s Health System in Birmingham, which provided comprehensive health care and surgery at no cost; Grace Children’s Foundation, which gives medical, surgical, educational, vocational and humanitarian aid to orphans in China; and Continental Careforce, a nonprofit organization that provides “airline transportation to people who have to travel due to critical medical or personal situations” and gave round-trip tickets to Webster and Nan Nan valued at approximately $2,000 per ticket.

“She’s an amazing little girl,” Stephanie said. “She’s been through a lot, but she’s full of joy.”

The two will return to China soon. “Several families in Birmingham are interested in adopting Nan Nan. We hope she’ll be adopted within the year.”

One Response to “MMA Program Helps Bring Orphan to US for Needed Surgery”

  1. Ms. Mac Says:
    February 20th, 2010 at 5:20 am

    A beautiful child and a blessing to us all.

Leave a Reply