About 8 years ago Anna Mei Qing DiMedio, Qing Qing (pronounced Ching Ching by the nannies in Anna’s orphanage), became a permanent member of our family. Anna Mei spent her first two years in the “infant room” in Baoding SWI, an orphanage serving about 80 children in a major industrial city just south of Beijing. The orphanage was clean, but the walls were white, the cribs many, and the toys few and far between. At age 2, Anna spent most of her day in her crib or in a baby walker. She had not yet learned to crawl or walk, and her favorite toy was her own hand. She could not stand the feel of a stuffed toy, preferring hard plastic toys for months. She learned to crawl and walk quickly, and with time and effort learned to enjoy solid food for the first time here at home, and with that her health improved.
It is our wish to help bring about some change for the children still living in Baoding’s orphanage. We sought the help of Love Without Boundaries, an organization that works within China to bring aid from people like us to China’s orphans. LWB will coordinate with Baoding SWI, and we hope to supply age appropriate chairs, baby swings, music mobiles, and developmental toys among other things. With effort hopefully the children there can progress more easily through the stages so important to infant development.
Mei Mei has several meanings in the Chinese language one being “little sister”. Mei Mei also means beautiful flower. May Anna Mei continue to spread her beauty and joy well beyond our family. Today is only the beginning for this little girl and her ability to change the world…
Our first image of Anna Mei from Baoding’s orphanage