A visit to Pearl's orphanage and abandon site

Pearl is adjusting well - may be too well, ha,ha.... she only wants me to hold her now. Everytime I walk away, she cries...My hands and back are sore from holding her...    I am very tired, but very happy. The orphanage was about 2 hours drive from Nanjing. we paid our tour guide about $200 (US dollar) extra to get us there, as it is not part of the tour package. (by the way, every thing here cost $$$, down to a tea bag in the hotel....we spend money like water here... :-( ) It was very nice of them to arrange this trip for us, and it was well worth it.  Picture taken is not allowed in the orphanage, we are only allowed to take pictures when the director said so.. A man dressed in all black, we had no idea who he was, followed us around during the entire tour, with camera in his hand.   He made us very nervous and uncomfortable.   As soon as we walked in, there is a big sign said "Welcome Home Jiang Wen Xin". It was very thoughtful of them. The trip was quite emotional, as they place healthy kids with kids with mental disability. They all seem to have that "blank" face. Pearl was like that when we first got her - no smile and emotion at all.... until about a day or two, she finally broke out a smile. But all in all, the facility is excellent, very clean, very modern, very tidy. I can tell the kids are well care for, and I really appreciate that. The director was very very nice - he took us to a guest room and served us with 3 beautiful trays of fresh fruits. After the tour, he took us to a fancy restaurant for an authentic Nanjing lunch. It was very very nice.


Here,  we are in front of the orphanage

The big "welcome" sign.

The classroom for school aged kids

Pearl's old classroom

                                                          Another view of the classroom.  The man in black in the back of the room.

 

 The playground, looking down from the facility

Children's bedroom

The nanny show us Pearl's old crib.   She put Pearl back into her crib.......

She cried.....

While we were there, the orphanage director show us this newborn girl in an incubator.   She was brought to the facility by the police the day before.   As soon as her condition is stabilized, they will do a complete physical exam for her.   And if she meets the adoption criteria, she will be posted for international adoption.    My heart inside just screamed, "Can I take her too?"

 

After the visit to the orphanage, our tour guide John kindly brought us back to Pearl's abandon site - the Jiangyin City People's Hospital.

On 1/19/2009, Pearl was found on a chair in this long hall way of Ear/Nose/Throat(ENT) Department in the hospital. 

  

It was a very emotional scene.   I can't stop thinking about her birth mother.   Why did she give up her daughter?   How did she feel?   Did she come to ENT for help?  May be she thought Pearl's cleft is an ENT issue?   Did she know Pearl really needs plastic surgery?  Or may be she knew, but couldn't afford the surgery- for common people in China, the cost to fix her lips and palate is unreachable with what so little they earn.   No matter what happened, I deeply feel that her birth mother loved Pearl so much that she left her here at the hospital desperately hoping for compassion, help and better future for her daughter.......  I wish, somehow, she will find peace to know that Pearl is well care for now, and her cleft will be repaired by one of the best pediatric craniofacial team in America, and will be loved as our own forever.

 

Just want to say that all the pictures were taken by Yin Yin or Yan Yan ..... They did such a great job.  That's also why you don't see the "guys" in the pictures..... they are working hard to carry things for the ladies and taking pictures.... ha,ha...