Little angels, broken wings
At 21, Yuan Dong has taken on a job many people years his senior would balk at — caring for abandoned children with congenital diseases. Qian Hui speaks to this remarkable young man about why he finds his work so rewarding.
Yuan Dong sees himself as a normal guy, a big fan of horror movies and biking. But his daily work has become a labor of love that would make many people uncomfortable. Yuan has been caring for infants with congenital diseases for the past nine years. Nursing, rehabilitating and looking after hundreds of children has become his life’s work.
After graduating from medical school in 2004, then 21-year-old Yuan came to work at Luohe Welfare House, Henan province, started his journey of guarding his brokenwing angels.
The only child of his family, Yuan was not raised as a little emperor like many born after the 1980s.
“My father and mother are not that kind of spoiling parents. I did not get whatever I wanted when I was a kid. Thanks to that, I didn’t need to see a dentist since I was forbidden to eat candies,” Yuan recalls.
His work in the welfare house has made him grow.
“My work has turned me to a better person. What I have experienced here taught me to be more considerate and tolerant of others, which changed me a lot.”
Yuan supervises the health condition of 281 infants afflicted with conditions such as cerebral palsy — all abandoned by their birth parents.
“Children here all have congenital diseases, and our welfare house has been taking the job of raising them and providing medical treatment. Their ages range from 1 to 19 years old.”
Yuan still remembers one time he took two infants to see doctors by train. The infants’ crying drew the attention of policemen, who suspected Yuan might be a child smuggler.
“My colleagues always make jokes about me for that,” Yuan laughs.
While he is often praised and complimented for his dedication, Yuan doesn’t see himself as a moral role model.
On the contrary, he feels very lucky to meet those “lovely angels”. To Yuan, his gains are much more significant than any pain.
“I don’t feel my story is amazing,” he says. “I just did what I should do, that’s all.”
Before coming to the welfare center, Yuan knew little about abandoned children. At first, he was a bit awkward being with those children.
“Once when I took the children with cleft lip and palate to hospitals, I was so embarrassed when people asked if they were my own children because of their unpleasant looks. But then I gradually realized that it is not the children’s fault that they look that way. They are poor and parentless, and they deserve our care and love.
“Now, I say they are my kids frankly when asked,” Yuan says.
While most of his college classmates are thriving in better-paid occupations, Yuan lives on a salary no more than 1,500 yuan ($245) a month. But Yuan feels a great sense of satisfaction surrounded by “his” children. He cherishes the affection and touching moments his work brings.
“Everyone has a lot of beautiful dreams when they are young,” he says, recalling that as a boy he imagined growing up to be a soldier, even a sniper. But “if you are lucky enough to meet someone who can touch the deepest parts of your heart, you will be a grown-up.”
In a society where people often set different goals for different periods of time, Yuan has kept doing the same thing for nine years, never thinking of quitting. He assumes there is still a lot for him to learn from his current job, and there is a lot for him to do for the poor children.
For Yuan, each child is a gift from God, he says, and they deserve to be cherished by the world. Yuan wishes there is no parting and pity in our life.
“As long as you have faith in love, you will see the angels in the world,” he says.
Online