Born in an impoverished province of China, four-year-old Mengmeng was diagnosed with congenital heart disease and would die without surgery.

Thanks to an OBI donor in Hong Kong, Mengmeng received the life-saving heart surgery that she needed.

CHINA - Her body too weak to join her friends, four-year-old Mengmeng sat quietly, watching the other children play.

Born in Anhui, a particularly poor province in southeast China, Mengmeng was not developing as quickly as other children.

Her poor health prompted her father to have her examined at a nearby hospital.

The results of the expensive examination were devastating: Mengmeng had a congenital heart disease, and would die without surgery.

The cost of the surgery was well beyond the means of the impoverished Anhui family, whose only assets were the land on which their three-room house sat and a savings of $120 U.S.

With only a meager farming salary, Mengmeng's father struggled to provide for his family.

When Operation Blessing learned of Mengmeng's need, staff members contacted a doctor at a provincial hospital not far from her home.

The surgeon agreed to perform the surgery at a greatly reduced price.

Soon afterward, an OBI donor in Hong Kong learned of the family's situation and volunteered to cover the entire cost of the surgery.

"We could hear my daughter's heart flutter before, when we listened to her chest, but now it has completely disappeared," her father said. "Now, she is much more active than before. I thank you and the donor for providing my child with this life-saving surgery. When she grows up, I will surely instruct her to help others who are needy."

In addition to funding heart surgeries such as Mengmeng's, OBI continues to sponsor hundreds of cleft lip and palate and other specialized surgeries each year as well as host free medical clinics in impoverished regions.

This year alone, Operation Blessing has hosted more than 762 medical missions that have helped over 1.3 million people worldwide.

HOW YOU CAN HELP
Be a part of OBI's ongoing medical relief efforts by making an online contribution to help those suffering from extreme poverty and sickness.

 

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