Get the feedShow Hope: Maria's Big House of Hope
Wednesday, Dec 01st 2010
The First Floor
The bottom level will consist of an entrance hall/reception area, office, small exam room, kitchen, laundry room, store room, and accommodations for caretakers to sleep. 24 beds for children are available. The children on this floor have been through surgery, recovered, and are waiting for adoption. On all six floors, the children are divided into family groups of twelve with 3 caretakers looking after them. This allows the children to have more of a home atmosphere.
The bottom level will consist of an entrance hall/reception area, office, small exam room, kitchen, laundry room, store room, and accommodations for caretakers to sleep. 24 beds for children are available. The children on this floor have been through surgery, recovered, and are waiting for adoption. On all six floors, the children are divided into family groups of twelve with 3 caretakers looking after them. This allows the children to have more of a home atmosphere.
Second/Third Floor
The children on these floors are long-term chronic care children who’ve been saved but are not healthy enough to survive in the orphanage or on their own in any way. Because of their condition they are also not likely to be adopted. They can be cared for up to the age of five. 72 beds are available between floors 2 and 3. Both floors have dining rooms. A room for physical therapy is located here as well.
The children on these floors are long-term chronic care children who’ve been saved but are not healthy enough to survive in the orphanage or on their own in any way. Because of their condition they are also not likely to be adopted. They can be cared for up to the age of five. 72 beds are available between floors 2 and 3. Both floors have dining rooms. A room for physical therapy is located here as well.
Fourth Floor
The fourth floor is dedicated to hospice care for children who are terminal. This floor contains 28 beds. Other rooms include a medical intensive care room, main emergency room, and isolation room. Every new child will be brought to the fourth floor to be evaluated, registered, and diagnosed. They will then be sent, depending on how severe their ailments, to the corresponding floor. Robin and Joyce want to make the children as comfortable as possible before they pass. A “DNR” (do not resuscitate) rule is in effect for the fourth floor.
The fourth floor is dedicated to hospice care for children who are terminal. This floor contains 28 beds. Other rooms include a medical intensive care room, main emergency room, and isolation room. Every new child will be brought to the fourth floor to be evaluated, registered, and diagnosed. They will then be sent, depending on how severe their ailments, to the corresponding floor. Robin and Joyce want to make the children as comfortable as possible before they pass. A “DNR” (do not resuscitate) rule is in effect for the fourth floor.
Fifth Floor
The fifth floor will be the home of the building’s operation theater. Rooms for 10-16 children who are coming in from all over China are available for them to stay for before and after surgery. At this facility, only minor plastic, orthopedic, cleft palate and similar minor surgeries will take place. A training room for incoming staff and an infirmary are also located on this floor.
The fifth floor will be the home of the building’s operation theater. Rooms for 10-16 children who are coming in from all over China are available for them to stay for before and after surgery. At this facility, only minor plastic, orthopedic, cleft palate and similar minor surgeries will take place. A training room for incoming staff and an infirmary are also located on this floor.
Sixth Floor
The sixth floor is made up of living quarters for long-term staff and visiting medical physicians, and could also accomodate groups with up to 20 people. The roof will have a playground on top with a sandbox and other fun activities for children to engage in.
The sixth floor is made up of living quarters for long-term staff and visiting medical physicians, and could also accomodate groups with up to 20 people. The roof will have a playground on top with a sandbox and other fun activities for children to engage in.
Sometimes when you want to donate to "good causes," it's all too easy to get inundated with so many causes that it's hard to decide where exactly the largest need is.
Last month, we talked a great deal about adoption. Orphans across America the world are struggling for their very survival as they exist under challenging circumstances and the lack of love or advocacy of a family. But, there is hope! In fact, there's a "big house" of it.
Located in one of the poorest provinces of China is Maria's Big House of Hope (MBHOH). MBHOH rises like a beacon of hope to orphans suffering with special needs in the Henan province of China. This 60,000 square foot, six-story facility exists to address the most pressing needs of orphans with special needs. Orphans cared for at MBHOH receive the highest level of medical care available being provided with surgeries, physical therapy, and a 1 to 3 nanny to baby ratio in a loving family atmosphere.
The excellent care provided to these children not only gives them a chance at life, but also greatly increases the likelihood that they will eventually be able to be processed for adoption and therefore find permanency in a family.
Show Hope was originally founded to address and meet the financial needs of families who wished to adopt but were constrained by the high costs associated with the process. Realizing that because of the overwhelming need due to the more than 140 million orphans worldwide, millions of orphans would never have the opportunity to find a place in a forever family. In an effort to broaden their care for these waiting children, Show Hope knew their work had to do more. That is when the opportunity presented itself for Show Hope to move more deeply into a greater work in China through special medical care centers like MBHOH. By building and operating hospice and long-term care units for these medically fragile children, Show Hope has been able to move into this need.
Founded by Grammy award winning Christian recording artist, Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife, New York Times Best Selling Author, Mary Beth Chapman, the flagship of these centers Maria’s Big House of Hope was named in loving memory of the Chapman's 5-year old daughter, Maria Sue Chunxi Chapman, whom they adopted from China in 2004 when she was just one year old. Maria was tragically killed in an automobile accident in the driveway of their home in Franklin, Tennessee in May of 2008. In her honor, these special care centers now give a chance for life to kids beginning their lives in similar circumstances to Maria’s – that of an orphan with special medical needs.
Caitlin Ruff, an intern at MBHOH, traveled to China to see with her own eyes the work that they had set in motion. She wrote of meeting and working with the doctors and nurses at the center:
"I am in awe of what they do here. They don’t just come in and visit for 2 weeks or even 9 months and then go back home. They have followed the call to serve these orphans, which I am sure is not an easy path to walk. Each of their lives is a gift of service to these sweet children. It is truly astounding. I already respect them immensely, and am excited to learn from them and get to know them better in the coming months. The kids absolutely adore them!"
The feeling is mutual. The soft voices used to describe one particular patient at Show Hope's Franklin, Tennessee office indicated that Judah is a favorite. He has been in their care since he was six months old, and you can see his photo at the above right, sitting in front of the care center, with the big smile.
Since he was just six months old, Judah has been under their care. Although he was diagnosed with Arthrogryposis, a condition that limits the use of his joints, Judah is healthy overall due to proper nutrition, medical attention and the doting love of his nannies. At just over three years old, Judah is very smart, alert, and responsive. This talkative little guy lives and plays in the same room as Rihanna, Jessica, Jim, and Julian. While Judah’s joint problems render him unable to walk, he learned to move around the room freely with the other children. According to the nurses he will most likely never walk, but through concentrated physical therapy we pray he’ll gain use of his hands.
He was recently outfitted with a wheelchair to improve his mobility as he grows. Many of the children at MBHOH are living with similar conditions that restrict their mobility, and it is because of Show Hope sponsors that they are given the resources to truly thrive.
Guess what? Due to the therapy and attention he is receiving, Judah has gained enough strength and control of his hands to hold a marker, though he'd rather use the floor in the classroom as his coloring book than the actual paper. Far from being annoyed, the caregivers at Maria's Big House of Hope lovingly view his coloring skills as a great success!
"Stories like Judah's are wonderful reminders of why we exist and we hold a great deal of hope that this precious child will come into a forever family of his own someday," said Cathy Troyer, Constituent Relations Manager at Show Hope.
Would you like to help the vulnerable children at Maria's Big House of Hope? You can. When trying to locate the area of greatest need, where your money can do the most good, it's hard to get more critically important than orphans in China who are struggling for their very lives.
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The First Floor
The bottom level will consist of an entrance hall/reception area, office, small exam room, kitchen, laundry room, store room, and accommodations for caretakers to sleep. 24 beds for children are available. The children on this floor have been through surgery, recovered, and are waiting for adoption. On all six floors, the children are divided into family groups of twelve with 3 caretakers looking after them. This allows the children to have more of a home atmosphere.
The bottom level will consist of an entrance hall/reception area, office, small exam room, kitchen, laundry room, store room, and accommodations for caretakers to sleep. 24 beds for children are available. The children on this floor have been through surgery, recovered, and are waiting for adoption. On all six floors, the children are divided into family groups of twelve with 3 caretakers looking after them. This allows the children to have more of a home atmosphere.
Second/Third Floor
The children on these floors are long-term chronic care children who’ve been saved but are not healthy enough to survive in the orphanage or on their own in any way. Because of their condition they are also not likely to be adopted. They can be cared for up to the age of five. 72 beds are available between floors 2 and 3. Both floors have dining rooms. A room for physical therapy is located here as well.
The children on these floors are long-term chronic care children who’ve been saved but are not healthy enough to survive in the orphanage or on their own in any way. Because of their condition they are also not likely to be adopted. They can be cared for up to the age of five. 72 beds are available between floors 2 and 3. Both floors have dining rooms. A room for physical therapy is located here as well.
Fourth Floor
The fourth floor is dedicated to hospice care for children who are terminal. This floor contains 28 beds. Other rooms include a medical intensive care room, main emergency room, and isolation room. Every new child will be brought to the fourth floor to be evaluated, registered, and diagnosed. They will then be sent, depending on how severe their ailments, to the corresponding floor. Robin and Joyce want to make the children as comfortable as possible before they pass. A “DNR” (do not resuscitate) rule is in effect for the fourth floor.
The fourth floor is dedicated to hospice care for children who are terminal. This floor contains 28 beds. Other rooms include a medical intensive care room, main emergency room, and isolation room. Every new child will be brought to the fourth floor to be evaluated, registered, and diagnosed. They will then be sent, depending on how severe their ailments, to the corresponding floor. Robin and Joyce want to make the children as comfortable as possible before they pass. A “DNR” (do not resuscitate) rule is in effect for the fourth floor.
Fifth Floor
The fifth floor will be the home of the building’s operation theater. Rooms for 10-16 children who are coming in from all over China are available for them to stay for before and after surgery. At this facility, only minor plastic, orthopedic, cleft palate and similar minor surgeries will take place. A training room for incoming staff and an infirmary are also located on this floor.
The fifth floor will be the home of the building’s operation theater. Rooms for 10-16 children who are coming in from all over China are available for them to stay for before and after surgery. At this facility, only minor plastic, orthopedic, cleft palate and similar minor surgeries will take place. A training room for incoming staff and an infirmary are also located on this floor.
Sixth Floor
The sixth floor is made up of living quarters for long-term staff and visiting medical physicians, and could also accomodate groups with up to 20 people. The roof will have a playground on top with a sandbox and other fun activities for children to engage in.
The sixth floor is made up of living quarters for long-term staff and visiting medical physicians, and could also accomodate groups with up to 20 people. The roof will have a playground on top with a sandbox and other fun activities for children to engage in.
by Leslie Overby #