Annual Report 2009
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Introduction Hopeful Hearts, established in early 2003, has now completed its Seventh year. Our original aim was to raise money to support orphaned children from the Nanjing region who suffered from heart disease. However since late 2004 we have been able to expand our program to include not only orphans, but also children from disadvantaged families. We provide support to those children suffering the most urgent and most complex heart conditions. Thanks to the support of donors within China and from overseas, we have been able to support the treatment of 29 children in 2009, most of whom were from disadvantaged families. Of those children supported by Hopeful Hearts, 28 children underwent successful surgery and are now living much improved lives. Unfortunately one child died after surgery. This tragedy only makes us more determined to help as many families as we can. Fundraising was again a major part of our activities in 2009 and we are most grateful for the wonderful support we received from the Nanjing community. Of course, there are still many children with a heart condition that can be helped. Although three hospitals in Nanjing are kindly supporting us by reducing prices for heart surgeries, they are still very costly – on average 30.000 RMB (3.000 !) per operation. Raising funds is hard work and we continue to need your assistance to make a difference to these children. We thank you for your generous support and donations that made all this possible and hope for your continued support in 2010.
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Financial Status 2009
Income Month January February March April May June July August September October November December Total Amount RMB 14,600.96 6,950.00 11,962.00 99,902.90 60,812.00 45,058.12 0 17,196.80 28,547.47 114,500.00 116,821.00 40,702.00 557,019.54 Total Balance 31 December 2009 Balance 31 December 2008 Final balance 31 December 2009 Outstanding bills 2009 206,390.34 737,187.96 158,709.65 386,558.76 Expenditure Category Heart Surgery and Hospitalization Caretakers and Travel Administration Fees 21,425.06 3,143.80 Amount RMB 712,619.10
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How we help How do we find the children or how do the children find us? Social Welfare Institute / Families with insufficient means
The Amity Foundation
Child with heart disease
Cooperating Hospital
Hopeful Hearts
In the last few years we have set up different systems to identify children with heart malfunctions. Initially, the children were referred to us by the doctors from the local orphanage in Nanjing. Now, also families who cannot afford examinations or operations for their child can apply for help. This is done via Amity, the Jiangsu Provincial Hospital, Nanjing Children’s Hospital, No.454 Military Hospital or lately also the Chengdu Cardiovascular Hospital in Sichuan. These hospitals are assisting us with the assessment of the children’s needs. Hopeful Hearts will then decide on their eligibility, seeking advice from Amity and the hospital with regards to the funding amount. For orphans, Hopeful Hearts covers all costs for surgery, hospitalization and caretaking. Through their work, Amity also comes across children with heart conditions from other orphanages. If possible, Hopeful Hearts will help these children as well. Medically, we are mainly advised by doctors from our cooperating hospitals, they usually perform the initial examinations on the children and propose a schedule of procedures. We are excited about a new cooperation agreement with the Nanjing Children’s Hospital and have seen a lot of success thus far. They are now using MICS (minimal invasive cardiac surgery) which makes treatment safer and recovery much quicker. While in hospital, Hopeful Hearts will visit the children and monitor their progress. When fully recovered, orphans first return to their Social Welfare Institute where they receive after-care. Hopeful Hearts then tries to promote adoption or fostering of the child.
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Hopeful Hearts children in 2009 These are the children whose operations we were able to fund in 2009. Zhou Dan Zhou Dan comes from Suqian city in Jiangsu Province, she suffered from a very complicated case of ASD/PH. Her parents are divorced, the father raises 3 children, one of them disabled. The family income was far from sufficient to pay for her surgery, HH decided to help her and she was operated on Jan 13, 2009 at Jiangsu Provincial Hospital. Her surgery was successful and she is now fine. HH helped with 30.000 Rmb. Yuan Lihui Born: 08 Aug 2007 Yuan Lihui had a tumor in his left heart chamber, surgery was urgent. His family is from Jiangsu Province, they are farmers with an annual income of about Rmb 3 000. After surgery in early January the child has recovered very well. HH paid 11.391 Rmb.
Wu Caihong Born: July 1988 Wu Caihong’s mother died when Caihong was still a small child, the father is a farmer in Jiangsu province. Caihong suffered from Ebstein deformity. Her surgery in Jiangsu Provincial Hospital was successful, and she was fine after spending over a week in ICU. HH paid 49.417 Rmb. Jing Zifen Born: 16 June 2008 Jing Zifen was abandoned after being born with a very severe heart disease (PAA/VSD/PFO) and taken to Jingdezhen SWI. She will need multiple heart surgery, HH agreed to take over the cost for her first surgery, which was done on February 09, 2009 in Beijing Fuwai Hospital. She recovered very well. HH paid 25.389 Rmb. Wang Xinyuan Born: 18 August 2007 Wang Xinyuan was abandoned at birth and raised by a couple from Tiancheng city, Anhui province. She suffered from VSD/PH and the family was unable to support the cost for her surgery. She received successful surgery in Nanjing Childrens Hospital. 5 HH paid 10.000 Rmb.
Yang Xingyue Born: 1996 Yang Xingyue is from Anhui Province, she suffered from VSD/PH. Her surgery in Nanjing Childrens Hospital was successful. HH paid 25.000 Rmb.
Pan Yabo Born 15 June 2008 Pan Yabo comes from Shandong Province. His parents are ministers in a local church. They live on a very low income. HH agreed to support them with the cost of the surgery for VSD/PH/TR, it was done on February 19 and was successful. HH donated 30 000 Rmb for the surgery. Wang Jingjing Born: 10 November 2005 Wang Jingjing is the second child of poor farmers from Northern Jiangsu Province. Their little bit of land is the only source of income for the family of 4. Both parents are in poor health condition. Jingjing was diagnosed with F3, successful surgery was on March 13, the child recovered very well. HH paid the entire cost of the surgery, 15.315 Rmb. Li Ping Born: 20 December 1987 Li Ping is from Sichuan province, he suffered from ASD. As a result to the big earthquake the family lost their home and fell in debt. The parents got divorced and are both unemployed. Nanjing No.454 Hospital of PLA agreed to cover transportation cost from Sichuan. Surgery was successfully performed by Dr,Mo from Nanjing Childrens Hospital. Rmb 33.891 was paid by HH.
Ding Fukang Born: 15 September 2003 Ding Fukang comes from a poor family of farmers in Anui province. Both parents are handicapped, they have one 15 year old daughter who is working to support the family. Surgery was carried out successfully on March 20. HH paid 15 000 Rmb. 6
Xie Jiahui Born: 13 May 1998 Xie Jiahui was born in Anhui province with ASD, VSD, PH, PVS, a very severe congenital heart disease. Her father died in 2003 of rheumatoid arthritis. She received successful surgery on April 1, 2009 and recovered very well. HH donated Rmb 15.000 for the operation. Lu Shujian boy Lu Shujian is an orhan from Anhui frovince. He suffered from a complicated case of Tetralogy of Fallot. HH agreed to pay the surgery and also the travel cost and the nursing staff. Altogether the cost came to Rmb 38.726. Liu Zhiyang Born: 16 May 2006 Liu Zhiyang was born in Sichuan province with VSD/PS. Because of the big earthquake his family who are farmers lost all their possessions. Under the negotiation of Amity staff in Sichuan, Chengdu Hospital agreed to perform the surgery, which was successful and the child is now healthy. HH donated 25.897 Rmb for the operation. Song Ximei 20 year old girl Song Ximei is from Anhui province. She only received 4 years of schooling, after that she was not physically able to walk to school. She suffered from Tetralogy of Fallot. The family of farmers never had enough money for surgery. HH agreed to support the family with 35.000 Rmb. Qin Benxiang Born: 29 March 1995 Qin Benxiang comes from Anhui province, she was born with congenital heart disease (VSD). Caused by a urinary infection, bacteria formed a cluster in her heart that had to be removed surgically on August 11. She still received antibiotic treatment for 6 more weeks. HH supported the family with Rmb 25.000. 7
Zhang Sidong Born: 15 July 2007 Zhang Sidong is a child from Sichuan province. His family of farmers is very poor and lost their house due to the big earthquake. It was impossible for them to support the cost of the medical treatment of their child. Sidong received surgery for VSD in Chengdu Xinxueguan Hospital in August. He recovered fine. HH donated 29.577 Rmb for the operation. Wu Liubao Born: 14 January 2001 Wu Liubao is a boy with congenital heart disease (VSD/ASD/PT), due to poverty in the family, he never had a chance to receive heart surgery. The parents had given up on him, but grandparents came to Nanjing to look for help. The boy had successful surgery in Nanjing Childrens hospital. HH donated 35.000 Rmb for the operation. Gan’en Born: 01 September 2008 Gan En was abandoned at birth because she was born with severe heart disease. She was taken into the family of a pastor in Anhui province, into his family of 20 homeless children. She had surgery in Nanjing Childrens hospital which was very successful, but a second surgery is still needed in half a year. HH paid Rmb 43.146 for her surgery. Wang Weidong Born: 05 July 1997 Wang Weidong comes from Northern Jiangsu from a family of farmers with very low income. He was born with congenital heart disease (VSD). Surgery was carried out successfully in Jiangsu Provincial Hospital. HH donated 27.624 Rmb for the operation. Wei Shimeng Born: 03 March 2009 Wei Shimeng is an orphan from Nanjing Social Welfare Institute. Due to congenital heart disease (PDA) she was in very bad condition and needed surgery quickly. She had a successful surgery in Nanjing Childrens Hospital and improved spectacularly afterwards. 8
Pang Xin Born: 03 December 2007 Pang Xin is a patient from Sichuan province. Her family suffered great loss through the Sichuan earthquake. They could not afford the cost for the childs surgery for VSD. HH decided to help the family. Pang Xin had successful surgery on October 21st in Chengdu Xinxueguan Hospital. HH donated 15 000 Rmb for the operation. Tang Yao Born: 20 November 2002 Tang Yao comes from Sichuan province. Her family lost their possessions in the Sichuan earthquake. Tang Yao suffered from CHD/VSD and the family could not afford the cost of the treatment. She received successful surgery in Chengdu XinXueguan Hospital on October 21st HH donated 15 000 Rmb for the operation. Sun Jiawei Sun Jiawei comes from a poor family of farmers from Jiangsu province. The mother is unemployed and the father had an accident and needs surgery as well. The boy reveived successful surgery for VSD/PH. HH paid Rmb 15.000.
Wang Yinggui Born: 16 June 2003 Wang Yinggui comes from a very poor family of farmers in Jiangsu Province. He received successful surgery for VSD in Jiangsu Provincial Hospital. HH paid Rmb 25.246 for the boy’s surgery. Zhao Zhongxu Zhao Zhongxu is a 13 year old boy from Anhui province. His father and mother are both ill and cannot care for him, so his uncle and aunt lent money to pay for the surgery. He suffered from Ebstein deformity. Surgery was performed successfully in Jiangsu Provincial Hospital. HH helped the family with Rmb 20.000.
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Zhang Yuhang Born: 12 February 2002 Zhang Yuhang comes from Jiangsu province, he suffered from Tetralogy of Fallot. His parents are both sick, the father has a mental disorder and the mother has dementia, his uncle and aunt borrowed money to pay for his surgery. Hopeful Hearts agreed to help the family with 20.000 Rmb.
Li Xiaoxiao Li Xiaociao is a boy from Henan province. He received surgery in No.454 Hospital of PLA in Nanjing. HH supported him with Rmb 22.000.
Bai Changmi Bai Changmi comes from a very poor family. Her grandparents are both in hospital. Her father died on the way to the hospital in a car accident when he wanted to care for her. HH supported the family with Rmb 30.000.
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Butterflies delicate, butterflies blue, butterflies still remind me of you. We are here for a while, then we are gone, but not forgotten, for we will be changed into something more beautiful. Like the butterfly, we do not really die but shed only our outer shell.
Rao Xiangxin Born : 21 March 2009
From the day She was born this lovely girl suffered from a heart defect. She received all possible treatment and attention, however the doctors could not save her precious life. For sure her life made a difference to us - we will not forget her.
Rao Xiangxin was an orphan from Xinzhou Social Welfare Institute, she was born with Transposition of the Great Arteries. Her heart echo was reviewed by heart surgeons of Childrens Hospital affiliated with Shanghai Fudan University. It was concluded that if she did not receive surgery within one week, she would not have a chance to survive. HH agreed to pay for her surgery, but complications arose afterwards, the child had serios hemolytic disease of newborn and abdominal distension, she died on June 23rd. HH paid 50.000 Rmb.
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Fundraising 2009 2009 Has been a very successful and busy year for fundraising. It started in March with our famous Spring Luncheon which featured a fashion show, a belly dancing demonstration, and fashion related vendors. In May 9 we spoke before EUCCC and were then sponsored at their annual Garden Party, then the Hopeful Hearts tennis tournament took place, which ended with a BBQ for all. On May 12 and 13 we held a Hopeful Hearts clothing sale, generously donated by Frank Lin and Helen Jiang from Jiangsu East-Glory Enterprise Co.Ltd. On May 24 we took part in the NIC bazaar at the Sheraton hotel with a Hopeful Hearts Café and secondhand books sale. On June 6 we joined a family day at the British School. On November 3 we organized an Autumn Luncheon “A Day at the Races”, a very successful day with the ladies all dressed up in their most beautiful frocks and hats! On November 19 we participated in the NIC Christmas bazaar, where we were selling aprons and mittens, embroidered with the Hopeful Hearts logo, gluhwein spices, and a lot more. And finally we joined a 5 day sale at Nanjing International School which became a 3 day sale for Hopeful Hearts: our very popular table was sold-out! We are also enjoying support from friends further afield in wider China, and from various countries in the world, with another Hopeful Hearts group launching in Chengdu, Sichuan this year. To all of you who have supported Hopeful Hearts during 2009, our sincere thanks.
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The Hopeful Hearts Team of 2009 Once again the Hopeful hearts team has undergone constant change, with members leaving Nanjing and new members joining the team. We are always looking for new members to join our team! We would like to express our special thanks to those who have been part of the group and left Nanjing in 2009: Rhonda Fisher, Lonnie Wadley, Cecilia Zhao, Sandie Summers, Sang Riddel, Beate Ziegler and Charlotte de Sauveboeuf. New people who have joined our team in 2009: Jacci Knutsen, Monica Yao, Julie Liu, Lies Poorter, Sarah Carrick, Jenine Basaraba, Britta Heinz, Esther Muilerman and Jennifer Loh. We are a truly international team with members from all over the world: Germany, the Netherlands, China, France, UK, USA, Canada, Australia, Korea, Malaysia….
The 2009 team from top left: Jenine Basaraba, Eleanor Eastland, Lies Poorter, Suzy Walker, Jacci Knutsen, Jennifer Loh, Britta Heinz, Beate Ziegler, Caroline Yuan Bottom from left: Mieke van Esbroeck, Jeannette Westerdijk, Claudia Schuenemann, Esther Muilerman. Missing on the photo: Qing Ye, Cynthia Sorrels, Monica Yao, Julie Liu, Sarah Carrick Team members who left Nanjing during 2009: Margaret Wilson, Rhonda Fisher, Lonnie Wadley, Anne Schubert, Charlotte de Sauveboef, Jamie Harvey. If you are interested in our work and would like more information, please have a look at our website www.hopefulhearts.info or contact us by email at hopefulhearts10@yahoo.com
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Hopeful Hearts Chengdu
Hopeful Hearts is now also working in Sichuan province/ Chengdu city. Since HH was receiving more and more applications from Sichuan province, former HH volunteer now living in Chengdu, Emelyn Oortwijn, took the initiative to gather a few volunteers together who now raise money and visit children in Chengdu Cardiovascular Hospital. With the very generous help of Maxxelli Real Estate and Marya Johnson, postcards were printed and are ready to sell. Along with this, donations from interested people started coming in. A successful luncheon was made possible with the help of Marie Wang of Vera Napoli Restaurant. HH Chnegdu can be very proud of their achievements. With effort and many hours of volunteer work they are hopeful that they can continue to assist many more children in need of „Hopeful Hearts“. The team in Chengdu from left to right: Top: Babs, Carrie, Marie, Lynn Sitting: Yiluan, Emelyn, Kim Not in the picture: Marya, Michele, Linda.
Hopeful Hearts Germany
In 2008, another Hopeful Hearts Group (Hopeful Hearts e.V.) was founded in Germany by former Nanjing Expatriates and other volunteers. Its aim is to support HH Nanjing financially and in other respects. (on the picture: the HH Germany board: Katja Wucherer, Claudia Schuenemann, Markus Foerderer, Susanne Kunte, Susanne Hauke.) During the year 2009, Hopeful Hearts e.V. organised several fundraising events and did publicity work: In May, HH took part in a marketplace for non-profit organisations and found two cooperation partners. In September, HH had a stall with Chinese items at Heidelberg City fair and shortly after, there was a charity run for HH by a German school. The last event this year was a traditional Christmas market in Mannheim, where HH also had a stall and sold Chinese pearls and other items.
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Thanks
The Hopeful Hearts team, on behalf of the children who have received surgery this year, would like to thank the following for their support during 2009: Wu Anan and Shen Zhanging from the Amity Foundation for their support throughout; The Nanjing Children’s Hospital; especially head of department for Cardiothoracic Surgery Dr. Mo and head nurse Yang; Head of Cardiothoracic Department Dr. Zhang, headnurse Zhang and their medical team from the Jiangsu Provincial Hospital; Nanjing No.454 Hospital of PLA; Chengdu Xinxueguan Hospital, in particular Dr.You. Local Government of Eindhoven and the Eindhoven business community for their generosity in supporting operations for the Hopeful Hearts children; For help with our two luncheons: Sofitel Galaxy, especially Mr. Christophe Lauras and his staff, to all performers and fashion models who gave up their time for entertainment, to Graeme Hodges and his auctioneering skills, and to all of the people who attended our events. The British School of Nanjing Nanjing International School Siemens Numerical Control Ltd., Nanjing, for their generous donation; Dirk Muilerman and Oschatz Company Jiangsu BS Home Appliances Co. Ltd. for their sponsorship of our letterhead and brochures; Arc Glassware Auchan Frank Lin and Helen Jiang and Jiangsu East-Glory Enterprise Carrefour Supermarkets Patrick Heckelmann and Skyways Bakery La Table de Mr Eiffel Himalaya Restaurant JT and My Place My Shop Jenny’s Beauty Salon Sang Riddel and BP John and Caroline Furniture Shop Nanjing Union Dental Clinic Margaretha Lauras and Elina Ussa for organizing the 1st HH Tennis Tournament Andy, Jennifer and 54 Emergency Nanjing International Christian Fellowship; Nanjing International Club; The Pearls and Stones Ladies group of Nanjing; Lori and Mikenna Worthington, for their creative fundraisers and donations; Caulfield Grammar School Nanjing Campus, Friends from all over the world who heard about us and donated; Our German branch of Hopeful Hearts for their commitment to inform friends in Germany about this good cause and raise funds; All adoption parents and foster families who take best care of “our” heart children and keep us updated about their progress. Our heartfelt thanks to all of you who have made a donation and to those who contributed in other ways. Without you none of this would have been possible.
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