Take My Breath Away... part one

I want to start this entry with a huge thank you to all those people who have contacted me regarding the babies I am working with here in Shanghai. Your thoughts, prayers, well wishes, kind words and advice have truly helped all of us this week. Thank you also to those of you who offered to donate to the fund - I really wasn’t asking for money, but thank you from the bottom of my heart. I will ensure your donation no matter how small will make it to the babies.

The good news is that today is the last day of surgeries and all the children that have received surgery so far are getting stronger, livelier and healthier by the day. The two surgeries today are the longest and most complicated, so please keep the surgeons, care givers and of course the babies in your thoughts.

Now I would like to share my weekend with you. It started on Saturday morning with a run to a local restaurant to collect some delicious lunches they had donated to the surgical teams. I had arranged for our driver, Xiao He to collect the lunches and deliver them to the hospital for the 4 days of surgery. However, since it was the first day and neither he nor I really knew the location of the restaurant or the final destination at the hospital, I thought it best that I should accompany him. The whole family loaded in the car and set off in search of the restaurant. We were so surprised to find a large plaza filled with different stores and cafes hidden behind the subway station. At some point we will head back there for dinner and a wander around. The owner of the restaurant is a generous man who agreed to donate lunches for the entire surgical team for the 4 days they were operating. I could not believe how good the food smelt and how delicious it looked. The journey to the hospital was so hard with the aroma of freshly cooked pasta filling the car – I was already hungry before we left home. I thanked the restaurant staff for their kindness and they were all so humble and just thrilled to be able to help in a small way.


Kim & Xiao He collecting the lunches


When we got to the hospital Xiao He parked the car and we left Richard and the kids watching a movie, while we took the food in. All the babies are staying on the 5th floor and we went in search of the amazing Ting Ting from the foundation. Ting Ting was not available, so we asked Amanda if she had any idea on where the food should go. For those of you who do not know Amanda, she is an incredible woman who came to China 3 years ago to run an orphanage/care home for Chinese orphans. Before heading downstairs I made a point of checking in on my favorite little guy – Gavin (or Fei Fei), his little buddy Shaun and beautiful, soulful Iris. Gavin is totally adorable and by far one of the fattest, healthiest looking orphans I have ever met. He comes from an orphanage in Xi’an and it is obvious the babies are well fed and cared for. His ayi adores him and it shows in his personality (and that of the other babies from the same orphanage) that they do the very best they can for the kids. He is such a happy little soul and I love to smother him in kisses and hugs. OMG! He is a cutie pie, I could just eat him up. The funny thing is his Chinese name is Fei Fei, which means to fly. Another translation of Fei is to be fat, so I guess he got the right name, just it is the wrong Chinese character. He is such a little dumpling that he could not fly even if he tried - lol

Anyway off went Amanda, Xiao He and I in search of the surgeons, only to be told they were still operating and the nurse would ensure the food was delivered to them once they were done. As you already know I had put out a request for help for Baby Abbi, who had been diagnosed with various heart defects as well as her hydrocephalus. Since I could not find Ting Ting, I was discussing Baby Abbi and the advice I had received on charities that could help her with Amanda in the lobby of the 2nd floor, when all of a sudden the large double doors opened and out walked our surgery team. I got to meet them all and shake hands with Dr Lazareff from UCLA and Dr Bao from SCMC and thank the staff in person for their kind deeds and compassion for these children. Again, of course they said it was nothing and it was their pleasure to help. I cannot tell you how wonderful it was to meet them face to face. It was such an honor for me. The funny thing was they were telling me how grateful they were to me for delivering their lunch – lol. I told them that it was definitely nothing in comparison, but they should go eat while it was still hot. We said goodbye and headed for the elevator.

Xiao He and I said goodbye to Amanda and headed for the car, but just as we reached the front door, who should walk in but Ting Ting. I had a quick chat with her and told her about the support and well wishes we had received from the adoption community and she was visibly touched by them. She then went on to tell me that Baby Abbi was really struggling and had been diagnosed with some new complications, on top of everything, she had pneumonia, was on a ventilator and now had some other internal malformations. Her prognosis was really not good, but we were hopeful the new information on heart charities would help find her assistance quickly. As always, as I was talking with Ting Ting her cell phone rang and she was back on the job of working with the hospital to get the babies the help they need. Ting Ting is an incredible young lady, with a grace and dignity that I could only aspire to. She is one of the most beautiful, elegant, compassionate and kind women I have ever met. I am in awe of the work she does for these kids, it is obvious that she holds each child close in her heart.

We said a quick goodbye to Ting Ting and headed back out to the car. As the car door opened and the internal chaos spilled into the street (better known as my own three kids), I was struck by what a lucky life I lead and how wonderful it is. I am here in China, doing something that makes me feel complete, accompanied (and more importantly fully supported) by a man I adore, and I have the best job in the world – being the mom to 3 incredible, healthy children. Life does not get better than this. For a moment I just stood in the parking lot hugging my amazing husband and just soaking up the moment. Saturday was an incredible day for me, but it was made all the more special since it was also my 42nd birthday. I had told Rich I didn’t want anything for my birthday since I already had everything I could wish for. At that moment in the parking lot, I had never felt so complete or content. There was nothing more in the world that I needed.

I was however starving hungry! We headed off for a birthday lunch at a beautiful area of Shanghai called Xintiandi (or Heaven on Earth). We found a great restaurant called Luna and sat watching the world go by as we ate a delicious lunch. The whole lunch I just kept looking around and wondering how life could get any better. The day was simply perfect. I was basking in the love of my wonderful family and feeling like the luckiest lady alive. After lunch we wandered around the streets of Xintiandi, stopping to take photos and also to partake in a Haagen Daas or two. Xintiandi is a modern shopping and eating area popular with Chinese and expats alike. The thing that makes it special is that it is within an area of renovated buildings. Our relocation guy Tony, told us that he had grown up in an area like Xintiandi as a child, but with the modernization of the city many of these areas where disappearing under new construction. The little winding lanes and courtyards are just so pretty. It is a photographers dream.