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Nanjing expat charity raises cash for childrens heart surgeries
| Published: | 30 Aug at 6 PM |
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The expat-run Hopeful Hearts charity’s Nanjing base is just one of the three under the same name, with the others in Guangzhou and Chengdu.
Founded in 2003, the non-profit came into existence when two expat women found a desperately ill Chinese boy who’d been abandoned by his parents lying at the base of a large tree. Sadly, despite being rescued and taken to the nearest hospital for treatment, the baby was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect and subsequently died. Since then , the charity has raised money to help sick children of poverty-stricken Chinese parents get the life-saving heart surgery they desperately need.
The Nanjing branch of the charity works with four of the city’s local hospitals and is informed when a child meeting their criteria is admitted for treatment. Once they’ve the details, charity members check the family situation, its income and any insurance, after which they decide whether financial help can be given to provide the life-saving surgery. Regular events are held to raise money, with 96 percent of donations going to the hospitals which provide the surgery and the remainder being used for admin needs.
According to organiser and charity member Katrin Koss, the recently held End of Summer Party at the city’s Creative Culture Park was the most successful for a while, with 150 supporters having a fun time for an extremely worthwhile cause. Many expat-owned and local Chinese businesses, schools, hotels, restaurants, bars and stores came together to guarantee the evening’s success, with buffet food, drinks, entertainment, raffles and the auction of a designer fridge ensuring the donations kept coming. Other popular events include a Christmas market and concert, a regular annual garage sale, an upcoming multi-charity event scheduled for September and the spring Golf Tournament.
Some of the money raised at the latest event will be used to provide a second surgery for a seven-year old girl who arrived at a local hospital in May. Katrin told local media the little one was so ill her fingers and lips were blue from lack of oxygen in her blood, adding the first surgery was successful but the second is needed because her condition wasn’t diagnosed until she was older.
Founded in 2003, the non-profit came into existence when two expat women found a desperately ill Chinese boy who’d been abandoned by his parents lying at the base of a large tree. Sadly, despite being rescued and taken to the nearest hospital for treatment, the baby was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect and subsequently died. Since then , the charity has raised money to help sick children of poverty-stricken Chinese parents get the life-saving heart surgery they desperately need.
The Nanjing branch of the charity works with four of the city’s local hospitals and is informed when a child meeting their criteria is admitted for treatment. Once they’ve the details, charity members check the family situation, its income and any insurance, after which they decide whether financial help can be given to provide the life-saving surgery. Regular events are held to raise money, with 96 percent of donations going to the hospitals which provide the surgery and the remainder being used for admin needs.
According to organiser and charity member Katrin Koss, the recently held End of Summer Party at the city’s Creative Culture Park was the most successful for a while, with 150 supporters having a fun time for an extremely worthwhile cause. Many expat-owned and local Chinese businesses, schools, hotels, restaurants, bars and stores came together to guarantee the evening’s success, with buffet food, drinks, entertainment, raffles and the auction of a designer fridge ensuring the donations kept coming. Other popular events include a Christmas market and concert, a regular annual garage sale, an upcoming multi-charity event scheduled for September and the spring Golf Tournament.
Some of the money raised at the latest event will be used to provide a second surgery for a seven-year old girl who arrived at a local hospital in May. Katrin told local media the little one was so ill her fingers and lips were blue from lack of oxygen in her blood, adding the first surgery was successful but the second is needed because her condition wasn’t diagnosed until she was older.
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