Stories of Hope
Child Spotlight: Zelda
Hello! My name is Zelda and I was born in 2013 in the Henan province of China. I was born with a cleft lip, cleft palate and a nervous system condition. I was first admitted into the care of New Hope Foundation when I was just one month old and spent the next five years of my life being cared for at one of the five Special Care Centers in Henan. During that time, I was able to have surgery to repair my cleft lip. My surgery was done by a great group of doctors from MedArt who have helped many of New Hope’s children over the years.
Little Zelda in 2013
In 2018, I had to go back to my orphanage for some time but was later readmitted back to the Care Center and have been here ever since. The nannies and staff here love me very much and take good care of me. My nurses describe me as “sunny” and “serene,” and I am full of smiles. I especially love physical therapy time and being held and massaged. I am quite a snuggly girl and am content being held and cuddled for hours. In preschool I enjoy playing with small toys that make noise and I also really like being read to.
Zelda on her 7th birthday
I recently celebrated my 7th birthday with many of my friends and nannies and as you can see from my photos, I was treated like quite the princess! My birthday fell around the same time as Chinese New Year this year, so it just felt like one extended party!
Please pray for Zelda and all of the children in our care as we continue to provide loving care for them. Please pray specifically for continued protection over them and over our staff as China continues the battle with COVID-19. Our greatest hope for Zelda, as with all of the children in our care, is that she will one day know the love and permanence of a family; a family to call her own.
* Please note that this piece was written creatively in first-person narrative in an attempt to give you a glimpse of Zelda through her own eyes. This text is not intended to be an accurate representation of her verbal level or her proficiency in English.