The first half of this article tells the story of how Katie and his wife went through untold hardships to bring three Chinese abandoned children with special needs back to the United States for adoption, and then went through hardships to raise three children and embark on a new life path. But the story of this family is not over, just over a week ago, the tear-jerking follow-up was staged! This time, it is the turn of more than 3,000 Chinese to appear first. And the number continues to increase.
Lets talk this part from start. The time came to the end of 2019. Tracy, a Chinese who used to be in a church with Katie, saw the video of Katie's family shot by director Qiong Zheng, so she brought her friend Hope and another friend Yajuan to bring food together. Visit the Katie family.
In less than a week, Hope, overflowing with love, mobilized all the touched Chinese people she knew and did not know near Meander, where Katie lived, and set up a WeChat group of 38 people. The name of the group was It's called "Love Connection".
On December 22, 2019, Hope's Christmas love activity for Katie's house was responded by more than 50 friends, more than 30 of whom drove to Katie's house together, bringing everyone's donations and purchased Christmas gifts.
In January of this year, after Hope learned that Katie was ill from a Chinese villager who went to visit Katie, she immediately launched a meal delivery Solitaire in the group. In less than a day, the "rotation table" for delivering meals to Katie's house from the 3rd to the 9th was lined up.
A week later, Katie's health got better, but Simon's health got worse again, so the meal delivery schedule was scheduled for January 21st, and everyone tacitly prepared the best food for family with three Chinese children with special needs.
A family with six children rarely has a perfect life, problems always came out. In mid- February of this year, the wound of Simon’s blood transfusion was infected. Katie needed to take him for an operation, and the operation required the mother and son to stay in the city where the hospital is located for more than a week. This brings friends from Katie’s Church to help Craig take care the other five children.
As soon as Hope heard this news, she immediately sent out another notice, and within the same day they made a 9- day meal delivery schedule.
Because of the unexpected extension of Simon’s surgery, this love meal delivery lasted from February 15th to March 3rd. A total of fourteen families participated in the delivery.
The children abandoned where they were born, these children with special needs are remembered and cared for by their compatriots in another strange way in a foreign land. This kind of love flowing in the hard time is a great comfort and help to Katie’s family.
Hope and Tracy have been keeping in touch with Katie‘s family. Starting in October, Hope offered to help Katie with Ivy two days a week. So that Katie could breathe a little bit and relieve the pressure from being tortured every day.
With only two weeks to go until Christmas 2020, Hope and Tracy hope to do something for this family like last year. So the Katie family can feel the love and support from the outside world.
The documentary director Qiong Zheng, who is filming the story of Katie’s family, communicated with Katie about their Christmas wished. Like all American Christian families, Katie made a Christmas with list for her family, and you can see that these are the most basic needs for her family living.
A new roof will be needed in the next year or two. (roof leaked)
Need a new air conditioner this summer. (The old air conditioner has not been replaced since it moved in 10 years ago, and it is no longer working properly)
The shower needs to be replaced, the tile on the underside of the tub is broken, and the bathroom needs to be refurbished.
The bathroom needs a new vent.
Build a large closet in the master bedroom, (there is no closet at home. Their dresser is in pieces too)
Kitchen cabinets need to be replaced. (Ellie is very destructive, except for the broken cabinet door, none of the cabinet doors in her bedroom are intact).
Ivy wanted a smart braille reader for Christmas, which was a bit pricey, about $2,000, but helped her with her reading and writing.
After reading this Christmas list, it really makes me a little sad. Katie and Craig could have had an easy and relatively wealthy life. But the three disabled children brought them an unimaginable financial and mental burden.
No matter how hard they try, they still have to contend with leaky roofs, non-working air conditioners, and broken cabinet doors.
Then there is the scene at the beginning of this article. Xin Luo posted this article on his public account - "They Adopted Three Chinese Disabled Children, Now They Are Facing Difficulties" (click to access). That's how I got in touch with Xin Luo and Qiong Zheng.
However, this article by Xin Luo caused a thousand waves and quickly became a popular article on the Internet.
When I saw the Christmas wish list, I immediately told Qiong Zheng: "I'll buy the smart braille reader that Ivy wants". But Qiong Zheng immediately replied to me: "That one has already been bought by someone else."
Before he finished speaking, the number of people in the WeChat group “love Connections", which can be accessed by scanning the QR code in the original article, began to explode. Almost everyone who joins the group is asking a question: "How do I make a donation?"
Seeing the compatriots I didn't know rush into the group and say "how can I give the money to Katie", my heart is full of warmth.
When I opened my eyes the next morning, I found that the group was full. I saw that the group owner was urging the relatives to withdraw from the group and scan the code to enter the long-term group - "Katie's House 2 Group". This will free up space for people who see the original article later and want to scan the code to join the group.
I immediately re-read the Christmas wish list, and immediately asked Hong Xu, the organizer, to do the roof repair of Katie's house. Immediately received her affirmation and praise.
At the same time, people who joined the "Katie's House" WeChat group are still coming. The 200 people in Group 2 were full, and the organizers quickly established Groups 3 and 4 for long-term follow-up. When each group is close to 200 full members, it will be stopped by the group owner and prompted to scan the new code to enter the new group.
In addition to the compatriots who are obviously from China and the Chinese in the United States, from the questioning in WeChat, you can feel that the group of relatives come from all over the world——
"Can I donate Canadian dollars?"
"There are no US dollars, only New Zealand dollars and Chinese yuan."
"What's the fastest way to donate money from Japan?"
...
After that, it was no longer possible to count countries, and donations came from Hong Kong, China, India and even Uganda in Africa...
Thanks to the help of WeChat, the Chinese who supported Katie quickly gathered, they came from all over the world!
The number of donations is soaring, ranging from as little as 200 yuan to several thousand dollars. The organizers are also constantly calculating what the money can buy - the air conditioner! Got the roof! The bathroom has it! ......
On the second day, the organizers added up the various amounts of money received, and converted them into USD 50,000 or 60,000, and this was not counting the checks sent on the road. In addition, they also donated directly to Kai through PayPal. Ti's. These donations are enough to cover all the purchases on that Christmas wish list! Luo Xin wrote a follow-up article on this matter - "The Big Event Caused by a Christmas List: Witnessing Miracles in 48 Hours" (click to visit).
When the direct donation method to Katie was announced in the WeChat group, people continued to transfer money to her 24 hours a day. Katie's first question was, "Aren't you Chinese people sleeping?" Because her PayPal has money coming in all the time. How did she know that these "Chinese" were Chinese from all time zones around the world.
Then Katie began to feel uneasy again: "That's too much. We're OK, we don't need that much money."
Qiong Zhang then talked to her about the establishment of a non-profit organization for adoptive families by Katie. Katie was very happy about it: "This is the Lord's guidance, which allows me to serve more families."
At this moment, the WeChat group received such a message.
I'd love to help Katie's home with all of its renovation projects for free! The person circled the items on the Christmas wish list in red.
——It turns out that this is Mr. Gao, the owner of Yongjian Group, a Chinese decoration company in New York. The company has a history of 20 to 30 years, and decoration is his specialty.
After the organizers talked in detail, everyone felt that the situation of Katie's house was better than buying a second-hand big house instead of laboriously renovating the current house.
At present, the three boys of Katie's family sleep in one room. Children are getting bigger and bigger, and they can't stay together forever. The existing living conditions are indeed insufficient for a family of eight, especially three children with special needs.
And the kids are growing up. The eldest daughter, Faith, is 15 years old, and it is not suitable for sometimes sharing a room with three boys.
It is very reasonable to change them a bigger house in one step. But as soon as the idea was told to Katie, she immediately objected: "You can't change rooms! Ellie has just gotten acquainted with her own room."
Yeah, how could ordinary people think of what a mother with a blind daughter would think!
On this day, the organizer sent a long letter written by Katie to the WeChat group
"Gosh, I can imagine how busy you are these days! When my friend Zheng Qiong told me to do a fundraiser for our family's Christmas, I don't think anyone could have imagined that this Giving us so much love...
Thank you so much for all these gifts and donations coming in like a flood. At first, we were so shocked, we didn't know what to say or how to respond. We thought to ourselves "Do we really deserve this?" Even though we didn't feel like we deserved so much love from you, it did give us a huge amount of Merry Christmas! Donations come from all over the world!
I also connected with some of you through the emails you guys sent me. It was great to meet so many of you! Knowing how much you love our family and we are in a bliss, thank you very much. We're going to sleep tonight with the hope of the best Christmas we've ever had.
I have always had a dream in my heart to connect people in China with these adopted families. I don't know how to make this dream come true, but through your sincere hearts I see it slowly becoming a reality.
I've been leading a group of "adopting moms" on Facebook over the years. When some of our adopted children died, we wept together, and when any of our members needed to adopt another child, we worked together to raise money. These little gatherings of us allow us to relax together, relieve our grief together, and share the joy of adopting a child together.
Some families I know have had to take out loans to meet these needs; others are trying to make money by making soap in the kitchen to do something for their kids. It is with gratitude and compassion that every family treats these God-given children as their own. But reality is often cruel.
Children's experiences in China have become history, and we are now going to give them a future. I believe that together we can change many of these lives; I believe that together, we can unite to give and love to these children and families, to create a better future for them.
All of your giving has sparked hope in my heart and made me feel that this is all possible!
We will set up a fund for medical treatment and counsolling for children to help them overcome trauma. At the same time, I will also help these families raise funds to repair their houses, and I will supervise the progress of this matter every step of the way. I'm putting together a board of directors with people from both of our countries so that we can move forward together as a unified team for a better future for these adopted children and families.
I'll be working hard to run a small website this week to receive ongoing donations and welcome you back from time to time. Any donations received in the future will go to this fund to help more families.
A thank you is not enough to express my feelings, but I still have to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. In this Christmas season, although you donate money, what you really give us is hope! "
Many of Katie's Christmas gifts were bought from Amazon Wish List and sent directly to Katie's house. This made Katie couldn't help but marvel: This is China's sleepless night! Because no matter what time of day she updates her wish list, someone is always placing an order for her in no time.
I saw that this is a caring competition from Chinese people all over the world. I was in it, running all the way, and moving all the way.
When the second task I contracted to repair the roof was taken away by the professional company's boss Gao, I began to think about the donation of the third contract. Just then, I saw another update on my wish list: Katie was going to straighten her child's teeth. I immediately rushed into the group to give a text - I'll contract to straighten my teeth!
On the fifth day after Xin Luo's article was published, people who joined WeChat were still pouring in, and the Katie's Home WeChat group had been full one by one, and it was built to the 10th group. In addition to the continuous donations, people are no longer satisfied with the items on the wish list, and all kinds of help that everyone spontaneously proposes are also constantly sent to the WeChat group——
Translation - Countless people signed up as volunteers to translate the records of raising these children written by Katie in the past seven years, which is nearly 100,000 words in English;
Music teacher - teaching Ivy to sing for the blind;
Psychological counseling - professional counseling services for children with autism and mental disorders;
Donate blood! ——I never thought that anyone would want to volunteer blood for Simon. Katie was the happiest to hear this, she immediately replied and announced Simon's blood type - O.
I believe that it will not take too long for Simon, who needs at least 17 blood transfusions a year, to transfuse the plasma of his compatriots. During his lifetime, the blood of the people of China and the United States will rush into his body.
The organizers have named the event's 10 WeChat groups - "Katie's House" which means a lot. Yes, everyone who enters this extended family is Katie's family!
Katie was so exhausted, both physically and mentally, that she had to go for psychological adjustment every three months or so. I'm thinking, someone who has given so much love we must never let her down!
For a few days, the top priority every day when I open my eyes is to communicate in the WeChat group of Katie's House. The other day I suddenly read Katie's reply, mentioning that she is interested in learning Chinese. This immediately reminded me of the "Mother Tongue Rebuilding Project" launched by my China-US Charity Foundation last year - an app for free human-computer dialogue and free Chinese language learning developed for families who adopted Chinese abandoned babies in the United States. She can be placed on her mobile phone to learn Chinese conversations in English at any time. I immediately jumped into the group and asked the organizer to tell Katie.
The organizers started to send Katie's feedback to the group after receiving each gift package, so every donation, every good suggestion, every donated item could set off cheers in the group!
On this day, the organizer revealed a message - Katie's washing machine and vacuum cleaner should be replaced. Does anyone know where to buy cheap second-hand appliances. Soon someone suggested - I'll pull the people from Midea Electric into the group.
Soon, this person joined the group and said, "I'm from Midea North America, and the most important thing we don't lack is electrical appliances!" - This problem was solved.
Afterwards, a group of friends said that it is of special significance for Katie to use Chinese brands.
It is the virtue of the Chinese people to provide support from all sides when one is in trouble. As a group friend said: "Katie, as a Chinese, we owe you too much. When you give your heart, we will extend our hands, let us connect our hearts and hands, and support this piece of land together. sky."
I live every day in the touching about Katie. In this communication that spans time and space and surrounds the world, everyone has a voice - you will never give up on these children, and we will always support you!
From the spontaneity of a few people to the scrambling of more than 3,000 people, I believe that Katie and his wife, as Americans, have seen this time that the Chinese nation is a nation that repays gratitude.
Conclusion：I have a dream。
It's been seven days and nights since I read Katie's story on the first day. I slept through the night. I had a dream, I saw Katie's house filled with gifts from all over the world before Christmas, 6 kids with their parents opening hundreds of packages one by one...
For Christmas 2020, Katie's must be the family with the most gifts in the world! In the world, there is no one. The Katie family deserves the best Christmas present in the world!
This child has become the happiest person in the world this Christmas, no one.
What's going on is actually the largest Christmas Party in the world, with more than 3,000 people participating in it, making Katie's family happy!
Thanks to the Katie family, let's think about the meaning of life together!
I see a day in the future when countless volunteers will come from all over to join the project of adding a house to Katie's family.
I see that in the near future, Katie's dream has come true - in her school for the blind, she educates children who can't see the world, but can see their dreams.
I heard Ivy ascend to the world music hall - the Musikverein in Vienna and sing the song that Katie taught her since she was a child - the sun won't abandon me!
I believe that as long as we unite together, our dreams will come true!
As a special reminder, all rewards for this article will be transferred to the dedicated account of the China-US Charity Foundation (A Perfect Love), which will be used to support various projects of the Katie family.
Author：The President of A Perfect Love
Photography：Qiong Zheng, Katie.
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