The Baby Floor

Wang Zhao, a friend, showed me these photos yesterday. They were taken ten years ago at the orphanage where she grew up (and where our Jonathon lived for nearly a year). At that time a family brought their adopted daughter back to see the orphanage where she had lived as an infant. They recently emailed the pictures to Wang Zhao.

The scenes are of the baby floor, which has since relocated to another building. However, this facility is still in use for older severely disabled kids. It's the place where I first got started in the Social Welfare Institute (orphanage). 

I was moved, devastated really, by these photos and wanted to share them with you. I also have a few thoughts to share -- at the end. 

warming baby bottles

can you count how many cribs? green cribs

metal cribs ...  the girl in red stayed here as a baby before her adoption (above) ... iv meds (below)

standing stations

such a tiny human being

natural wood cribs

babies around a heater

toddlers around a heater

nannies at lunch (they still eat just like this -- I used to join them on Tuesdays)

play and trim toenails time

toddlers

meals

affection

walkers ... and head measurements

Thoughts.

1. The poverty in these pictures doesn't make me very sad. Although the conditions aren't great, the babies have food, clothes, shelter, warmth, beds and blankets. What breaks my heart is seeing rows of babies in cribs and lines of babies in standing stations. There aren't enough arms to hold the children. That devastates me.
2. I don't know how many babies reside on this floor, but the number of cribs we can count in the pictures is already an overwhelming number.
3. This was a special visit from foreigners, so I'm positive they presented the best of the orphanage. Chinese always labor to make appearances surpass reality.
4. Did you notice that all these kids look good? They will probably be adopted. 
5. But most children in the orphanage have a physical problem, which could be minor as cleft lip or major as severe cerebral palsy. It seems that the foreigners were not allowed to see the majority of the kids, separated into another area. That's my best guess.

Kids with physical problems are less likely to be adopted -- like Wang Zhao. I will show you more in my next post.

Now, your thoughts and reactions or questions, please.