Foundation gives sick newborns a chance in rural China

The 10-day-old daughter of Wu Kai and Ao Chengli was diagnosed with a series of potentially fatal diseases.

Relying on a meagre income of 3,000 yuan (HK$3,800) a month, the couple from a mountainous area in Guizhou faced a huge hurdle in meeting a hospital bill of up to 13,000 yuan.

But when they considered taking the child home, the doctor warned that it would be very dangerous for a baby suffering from necrotising enterocolitis — an inflammation of the intestines that affects premature babies — and pneumonia.

The Children's Medical Foundation, a charity that aims to establish health-care access for underprivileged children in Asia, came to the rescue.

With the help of 5,000 yuan from the foundation, the baby was able to receive proper treatment in the hospital for 15 days, which probably saved her life.

The parents were among beneficiaries of the Save-a-Baby programme subsidised by Operation Santa Claus, the annual charity fundraising drive organised by the South China Morning Post and RTHK.