News
Please Consider Helping This Child
Posted on 01.10.2010 | Filed as Urgent
We want to share a story with you. It is the story of a little boy, one of TSC’s beautiful children in China, who is in need of your help. A child created in his Father’s image, but sadly and horribly affected by the results of sin in this fallen world.
Xiao Bing, dubbed Daniel by our staff, was born on December 1, 2001 and subsequently abandoned by his birth family. He suffered from a condition called hydrocephalus, which caused fluid to collect in his head and put pressure on his brain.
The Shepherd’s Crook first learned about Daniel when he was two years old. We were planning a neurosurgery trip to China for October 2004 and trying to line up children who needed surgery at that time. He was included as part of that trip and brought to Beijing from his orphanage in Inner Mongolia. A shunt was placed to help drain the fluid that was accumulating in his brain, and he was eventually returned to his orphanage.
Unfortunately, soon after this, Daniel’s shunt became infected—not once, but twice. Over the next several months, he had three more surgeries, but they did not appear to be successful. His head continued to increase in size, and there was little hope remaining that he would survive for very long. A wonderful couple in Beijing, Joyce and Robin Hill, agreed to take him into their medical foster home (Hope Foster Home, or HFH) where he would remain under their loving care until he died. This was heartbreaking for all of us, but we were so thankful that Daniel had a place where he could spend his remaining days being loved and cared for, a place where he could die with some dignity, surrounded by people who would cry for him and mourn his passing. 
But, Daniel didn’t die. He continued to live and grow stronger and smile and even interact somewhat with the other children at HFH. An American named Keith Wyse, who runs another foster home there in China called Agape Family Life House, donated a special wheelchair for Daniel. The workers at HFH began taking Daniel for strolls through the village and placing him out in the garden where he could get fresh air. He began to improve, although his head remained so large that bathing him was difficult and he was not able to lift his head at all. He improved so much, in fact, that we finally realized we would have to find another place for him to live. HFH was designed as a place for children to live short-term while receiving medical care, recovering from surgery, or waiting to die. Daniel no longer fit into any of those categories. But he needed a very special place to live—a place where he could receive the care and therapy necessary to enable him to reach his full potential, whatever that might be. We were already seeing that there was much more inside this little boy than anyone had imagined. It was clear that God wasn’t finished with him here on this Earth.
So we began searching and praying for a place for Daniel to live. Our prayers were answered when Keith Wyse, who had donated Daniel’s wheelchair the previous year, agreed to take Daniel into Agape Family Life House in Langfang, China. Daniel was transferred to Agape in January, 2007, and through generous TSC donors, we have continued to provide the financial support for his care at this wonderful facility since then.
Daniel’s progress has been miraculous and staggering. In spite of his large and heavy head, he is now able to stand and even walk! Just last month, we received the following report from Keith at Agape:
“Daniel is doing very well. In fact, he is learning new things every day and just loves being around people. Daniel is now able to walk all over the place as long as he has something to hold on to. He also feeds himself and is very interested in TV and music. I must tell you that a year ago I would have never believed Daniel would be able to do more than just sit in his wheelchair and stare at the sky, but, I guess, God has a bigger plan for him. We are always excited to see Daniel’s continual improvements and also how excited he gets when he learns something new. December 1st was Daniel’s 8th birthday. I wish the doctors who first worked on him could see him now, eight years after they said he would never survive!”
Daniel is still a little boy with very severe brain damage, but thanks to your support, he is thriving and not merely existing. He is such a beautiful testimony to what love, prayer, and nurturing can accomplish in a child’s life and what we can all achieve when we work together.
It is now time to provide the underwriting for Daniel’s foster care for 2010. We have used up all of the funds for his care for the past year. We are looking and praying for donors to make it possible for this child to continue receiving the wonderful care at Agape Family Life House. We beseech you to consider helping with this project. This child will never be available for adoption, but we still have a responsibility to care for this precious one who was brought across our path. We must continue to make the quality of his life beautiful and God-honoring for as long as God chooses to leave him with us. Won’t you help us do that?
A year of foster care for Daniel costs $3600 ($300 per month). We can accept a donation for the full $3600 if someone wants to provide that, but we can also accept monthly sponsorships of any amount, or one-time gifts of any amount—all of which will be put 100% toward Daniel’s care. Any amount would be very greatly appreciated and would make a difference for this child. Donations need to be made payable to The Shepherd’s Crook Ministries and designated “Daniel Foster Care.” This can be done on-line, or checks can be mailed to:
The Shepherd’s Crook Ministries
P.O. Box 773
West Chester, OH 45071
Please consider partnering with The Shepherd’s Crook to enable us to pay for Daniel’s expenses at Agape Family Life House. If you have any questions about this project, feel free to send us an e-mail with “Daniel in China” in the subject line of your message.