Updated: An Emotional and Amazing Day!

Wuxi Social Welfare Center

Ji Hao and his favorite person in the world!


The link between Ji Hao's birthparents and us, his forever family!

I hired Brittany to write about our amazing day yesterday :o). I was too busy tonight trying to pack up our suitcases for our flight to Guangzhou tomorrow. Below, you'll find her recollection.

I wanted to add that our guide, Kay, translated Ji Hao's birthmother's letter. It is absolutely heart wrenching. I hurt for this family who obviously loved their little baby so much. The letter states that they took Ji Hao to several doctors, even going all the way to Shanghai to seek help for him. This would have been very costly for them, as from their letter, Kay said that they were very common people. The doctors all told them that Ji Hao could not hear at all, and that there was nothing they could do for him. Sadly, his birthmother wrote that she would give anything, even her life, to help him to hear. So, we asked the people of the village to please talk about meeting us (like we could stop them if we wanted....I'm sure we'll be the talk-of-the-village for months to come), and if ever found, to tell his birthparents that he is loved, and that we will pursue every route possible to help him reach his maximum hearing potential.


We are so overwhelmed with gratitude and unbelief that we have so many pieces to Ji Hao's past. Kay has told us that she has never seen a letter written from the birthmother - just a note with the birthdate, and even that is rare. She also said that she has never dreamed of meeting the person who has found a baby. She was crying over and over again today, and told us she felt so good that we had such a "successful" day. We have been blessed beyond description!


O-kay, here is Brittany's retelling, followed by oodles of pictures -- enjoy!


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I am very sorry to you, my baby.

There I sat, tears trickling down my cheeks, a letter in my hand. I tried not to cry, but I couldn't help it. Fervently, I hoped no one would see me as I poured over the wail coming straight from the soul of a heartbroken mother.

Doesn't the god know black from white? questioned Ji Hao's birthmother.

I looked out the window. It didn't make sense, did it? I know God always has his reasons, but why did it happen this way?

As I looked at the almost eight-year-old boy beside me, I could hardly believe it. He is so full of energy and life. We all love him so much. This was the very same baby the woman was talking about.

Although we may never know why God made it so that this special little boy would be in our lives, we do know the answers to a bit of his past. Join me now, as I share with you how we explored the "vast record" (a translation of the name Ji Hao), of our newest little one.

Our day started at 8:00 a.m, when we met our guide in the hotel lobby and boarded the van for a 2-hour trip to Wuxi. The populated city of Nanjing faded into lush countryside covered with fields and mountains and scattered with houses. We learned that most farmers lived in clusters of houses or communities. The hours rolled by, as did the land.

A sign above a gateway on the side of the road welcomed us to the Wuxi Social Welfare Institute. Modern architecture surrounded us as we stepped inside. After a brief meeting with the orphanage director, he gave us a tour of the grounds.

Before we could even step foot into one of the children's buildings, we received a hearty greeting from Ji Hao's classmates. Shouting over the top of one another, they tried to get his attention. His teacher almost immediately came running up and embraced him, chattering away in chinese. Hugging her back, tears began to spill from our little boy's eyes. We had been told that she was his favorite nanny.

I followed closely as she led him into the room where they all did school. By now, droplets of grief blurred my vision, too. He had known some of these people all of his life, and today he was saying his final good-byes.

The classroom was very large, and, in contrast to the orphanage's main building, lacked modernity. On a table pushed up against the wall, the teacher displayed her students' artwork with pride. Selecting a few pieces, she showed them to us and explained that they were the work of Ji Hao.

While we were still visiting the school, the classmates returned on the way to one of their activities. I stood back from the action, looking from one face to another and greeting each with a cheery "Ni hao!" (hello). A little boy with downs syndrome extended his hand to me, and I shook it heartily. I watched as, one-by-one, the children drew on the bear Mom had brought for that purpose. These were Ji Hao's only friends (and family), and he was leaving them all.

We then proceeded to the sleeping quarters, where all of the children took a two-hour nap. It just happened to be nap time as we were there, so all the beds were filled with kids. All except one. Standing in the middle of the room, it lay empty, ready to cradle the next parentless little one that came its way. Ji Hao walked over to it, and the employees explained that this had been his bed. After whispering quiet "zaijians" (good-bye), we made our way back outside.

Next on the tour came lunch with the director and a few members of the orphanage staff. They are all very kind and caring people, and we are glad to know that our little Ji Hao was in such loving hands before we came to get him.

Lunch consisted of a scrumptious meal of not-so-scrumptious looking dishes. Really, in China, you learn to eat anything and EVERYTHING! Despite the appearances, the food was actually really good. A few of the dishes were: eggs, dumplings, fish, meatballs, a really liquidy tomato soup, and shrimp.

"This is really good!" Dad exclaimed as he leaned over a dish with a mysterious brown hue.

"Really? Should I have some?" I asked.

"Sure!" he said.

It was really good, and I had at least three helpings of it. Mom and Brant had some, too. Only later did we find out it was eel (told ya you learn to eat everything)!

During the meal, the nannies encouraged Ji Hao to get up and put on a little show for us, exhibiting some of the songs and dances he had learned. He performed several songs with hand gestures, did a little duet with his favorite nanny, did another one with Mom, and even put on a Chinese variation of If You're Happy and You Know It, Clap Your Hands. The camera snapped away and the DVD recorder captured everything as we attempted to save each precious moment.

Soon, it came time to say good-bye to the nannies. We started heading towards the door as they called out their zaijians, then turned the corner, forever separating their lives from Ji Hao's. When we reached the van, the orphanage director had a few final words with him before letting him stride confidently into the vehicle.

Then, came the most exciting part of the day. From evidence she had extracted from his finding ad, our guide was able to figure out that Ji Hao was left to be found in a little community within Wuxi City called Plum Blossom Village. The exact address was 37 (something) bridge. Wanting if possible to see the location of this important part of his history, we set out to find it. I must give a big tip of the hat to our guide and driver, who unceasingly pursued finding this area. With the help of several locals, we found out that it was not actually a bridge, but a back alleyway. The Chinese characters had been ambiguous, and that was the cause of the mix-up.

We picked our way through the dirty alleys lined with houses. Clothes dangled from lines visible from the upstairs window. All pairs of eyes turned to us, the relatively rich foreigners in a common Asian community.

A man leaned out his window and shouted at us. Our guide explained to him where we were going, saying that we needed to get to thirty-seven ______ bridge. After trying to help us with verbal directions, he came out and told us to follow him. On the way, we gathered quite a crowd of curious onlookers, and our guide began to translate some of their speech.

"They say that they know him...they remember his ears," she said.

"Dad, they know him!" I exclaimed.

Bars guarded the porch of house number thirty-seven, and the man began to shout to the people inside. A woman came bustling out the door...and began to shout her excitement when she saw Ji Hao. Enthusiasically, she pointed out the spot where he had been found- a cement block on the side of her house elevated about a foot and a half from the ground.

It was beginning to rain. We sought shelter under a ledge. More and more people gathered around us, all but pushing us up against the wall.

As we were asking the people questions, our guide told us that the lady who had come out of house number thirty-seven was the very woman who found him! The lady had said that one morning, about 6:00 a.m., she heard a baby crying outside her window. When she went out to check, she found Ji Hao along with about ten diapers and the note from his birthmother. She called 1-1-0 (the police), and they came to take him. Elated, we again began to converse with her, not able to believe that simply by looking for the finding spot we found this very important woman in the history of our little boy!


We asked if the people knew who the birthparents were. They all claimed that they did not. They added that the baby may have been left at that location because there was a childless couple from Sichuan province living nearby. They think that maybe Ji Hao's birthparents knew this couple or knew about this couple and hoped that they would raise him. This couple, however, believed that they could not help Ji Hao's hearing, and thus he was sent to the orphanage.

And right now, as I write this to you, I hope that the writer of that heartbreaking letter knows that her baby is safe and loved. I hope that those people who had seen him will talk about us, and that the news that he has a family be brought to her ears. I pray she will not grieve for her lost little boy, but rather be comforted and given the peace that comes from God. I know that if she is still in that village, she will probably find out. I just wish I could know for sure.

Ready for the trip to Wuxi!

Gate to Wuxi Social Welfare Center

Inside the administration building at Wuxi Social Welfare Center

Welfare Center grounds. The building on the left is a home for the elderly.

Ji Hao's favorite teacher!

Ji Hao's friends and classmates

Signing Ji Hao's bear

Saying Goodbye

Ji Hao's teachers

Children's building

Lunch at the orphanage with director and teachers

(our sweet guide, Kay, is standing)

Ji Hao puts on a show for us. His teachers have done such a great job with him!

Teachers singing along

Grounds of Wuxi Social Welfare Center

We haven't even left the orphanage grounds yet, and Ji Hao is happy again and back to his new "normal", which includes Gameboy, of course. Such an amazingly brave boy!

Finding Plum Blossom Village

Getting closer...

And closer...

Leading the way...

We found it...House number 37!!

Resident of house number 37!

Starting to draw a crowd...

Our Heroes -- The woman who found Ji Hao, and the man who helped us find her!

The woman living in house number 37 heard baby Ji Hao at 6:00 a.m. and found him on this cement block outside her home.

The crowd grows bigger...

And bigger...

Kay asking the local people questions

Leaving Wuxi...The city of Wuxi is very modern, lush, and beautifully manicured.

Wuxi's Lake Tai