When Liên was a little girl, her mother would carry her from street to street, asking passersby for coins and food scraps.

At night, Liên shivered — sleeping with only a thin piece of cloth to keep warm…

Her mother, who had intellectual disabilities, loved Liên deeply and did everything she could to care for her. But her own challenges made it difficult to meet Liên’s complex needs. Living on the streets of a coastal city in Vietnam, sometimes selling lottery tickets or trinkets, she wasn’t earning enough income to meet even basic needs — let alone specialized care for her daughter.

Liên could walk and manage basic hygiene, but she struggled to communicate and learn like other children her age. Her mother felt overwhelmed by her limitations and unsure how to provide the care her daughter needed.

Recognizing the difficulty of the situation, compassionate neighbors suggested that Liên might receive the help she needed at a children’s center. While it meant that she would no longer live with her mother, moving Liên away from the harsh realities of street life gave her the possibility of a safer, more hopeful future.

A New Chapter

When she arrived at the children’s center, Liên was welcomed with open arms by a team of dedicated caregivers.

With expertise in nutrition and health, special needs and child development, Liên’s caregivers could provide the care and support she needed to grow and develop. They identified her unique challenges and began creating a tailored care plan that focused on her health and building basic life skills.

One of the first steps of Liên’s new journey was supporting her physical health. Regular health screenings became part of her routine. The center’s medical staff conducted nutritional assessments to ensure she was receiving the necessary vitamins to support her growth and overall well-being. These assessments are crucial for early intervention — addressing health conditions such as anemia and other deficiencies.

Through the center’s partnership with Holt Vietnam, caregivers are trained in feeding techniques, monitoring health benchmarks and creating daily routines and activities for children with disabilities. Because of donor support for the Molly Holt Fund, these trainings are made possible, and children receive the specialized, nurturing care they need to thrive.

Safe and Supported

After living on the streets, Liên’s adjustment to life at the children’s center took time. In the early days, she was content to be alone, sitting in the corner and taking little interest in the activities around her. She seemed focused on her interior world, occasionally watching other children play.

Liên’s caregivers were patient, knowing that she needed time to feel safe, secure and comfortable in her new environment.

Slowly, with gentle encouragement and reassurance, she began to show signs of progress. Liên practiced feeding herself — first with finger foods, then with utensils. She struggled, often spilling food, but her caregivers knew that Liên needed to learn at her own pace.

Over time, she became more adept at holding a spoon and fork. Not only could she start eating without assistance, but she also began to grow in confidence.

Liên was also shown how to dress herself. And with time, she learned how to dress independently. She learned how to zip her jacket and tie her shoelaces — significant achievements for children with special needs.

Growing in Confidence

Liên’s progress with self-care was transformational, but she often distanced herself from the other children. She would sit quietly during group activities, occasionally glancing at her peers but not engaging with them.

Eager to help Liên connect with others her age, her caregivers remained optimistic and patient. They continued to involve her in simple group activities, such as drawing, coloring and singing.

Slowly, Liên began to engage with other children. As she began to feel more comfortable, she grew in her social confidence each day. Soon she started to join in activities without hesitation and even began to initiate simple conversations with her peers.

But Liên’s ability to communicate and express her emotions was limited. Her caregivers encouraged her to express herself in different ways — through art, music and movement.

Ms. Thuy, one of Liên’s primary caregivers, says she is hopeful for Liên’s future.

“[Liên] is a fighter,” Ms. Thuy says. “Every step forward is hard-won, but she never gives up. I see so much potential in her and we are committed to helping her discover it.”

Helping Her Shine

Today, Liên is 11 years old, and she continues to grow each day.

The caregivers at the children’s center remain her biggest supporters, cheering her on with each victory.

“She has shown us all what true resilience looks like,” Ms. Thuy says. “Every child deserves a chance to shine and [Liên] is shining in her way. We are honored to be part of her story.”

Every child’s path is different, and Liên’s path is uniquely hers — and it’s one paved with hope because of your help.

Making a Difference

It is through the continuous support of sponsors and donors like you that Liên is receiving the specialized care she needs to thrive.

But while she continues to receive support and make progress, many children like Liên are still waiting — left without the opportunities and care they deserve. Her story is not an isolated one — it reflects a broader challenge faced by children with disabilities in the places where Holt works.

Private special needs programs, when available, are financially out of reach for orphaned and vulnerable children, whether they live in an orphanage or with their families struggling in poverty.

You can help children with medical and special needs who are left with no other options. Donate today to help provide care, healing and hope for a brighter future.

Your gift will help provide medical treatments, surgeries, specialized feeding assistance, therapies, adaptive equipment like wheelchairs, special education and so much more.

Every child deserves compassionate care that reminds them they are deeply loved and valued. Together, we can bring lasting change for children like Liên and help them shine.

Give to the Molly Holt Fund

Your gift helps a child with special needs receive the surgery, medicines, and specialized care they need!

Help a child now

The post Helping Liên Shine appeared first on Holt International.

Your generosity helps children all around the world receive the nurturing care and support they need to grow and thrive.

Last year, your gifts provided essential healthcare and met critical medical needs — including lifesaving surgeries — for over 131,900 children. You also helped provide specialized care and support for 2,280 children with disabilities who are living in orphanages or in poverty with their families. None of this would have been possible without your compassionate heart for children in need.

Whether it’s life-changing medical treatments for conditions like cleft lip and palate or congenital heart disease — or specialized feeding assistance, therapies or special education for children with special needs — your gifts make a powerful difference! Every child deserves compassionate care that reminds them they are deeply loved and valued. Thank you for seeing these children, and for providing the vital care they need.

Here are just a few of the children you’ve helped care for over the past 10 years!

Feeding Support for Jin in China

See Jin’s progress in the video below!

Surgery and Therapy for Arban in Mongolia

Heart Surgery for Luli in China

Physical Therapy for Jolie in Mongolia

Cleft Lip Surgery for Rebekah in China

Disability Support for Giang in Vietnam

Deworming Medication for Kissa in Uganda

Heart Surgery for Lai in China

Carrying on Molly’s Legacy

Just as Molly gave her life “to the things that she loves with her whole heart,” we’re so grateful you share her heart for children with special needs.

To continue Molly’s selfless legacy, send a gift to the Molly Holt Fund today to make a lasting impact on the life of a child with special needs!

Give to the Molly Holt Fund

Your gift helps a child with special needs receive the surgery, medicines, and specialized care they need!

Help a child now

The post Each Child Seen and Loved appeared first on Holt International.

Altan is a happy little boy who spends his days at school, playing with friends, learning new skills and thoroughly enjoying mealtimes. But just a few years ago, Altan’s life — and future — looked quite different.

When Altan was born to his family in Mongolia, he had a twin sibling. But shortly after birth, Altan’s twin passed away, and his father abandoned his mother — leaving her to care for her infant son alone. Enduring loss and abandonment, Altan’s mother faced yet another challenge: Altan was born at just 4.8 pounds and was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, a condition that has impaired his muscular growth and development. By the time he was 18 months old, Altan could not sit up on his own, roll over or crawl, and he needed support to eat. Ultimately, his delays affected his ability to receive the nutrition he needed to stay healthy and grow.

Altan’s mother tried everything she could to help her little boy, but he was constantly sick and severely malnourished. With little support, she began to feel physically and emotionally exhausted. The demands of being a single mother caring for a young child with a disability were adding up. Feeling ill-equipped to meet his needs, Altan’s mother considered placing her son in an orphanage. But with a final ounce of strength, she continued to search for help.

Finding Help — and Hope

One day, Altan’s mother discovered a daycare center in her community that cared for children with disabilities. Partnering with Holt Mongolia, the daycare staff had received Holt’s innovative Child Nutrition Program (CNP) training, through which they had learned how to properly feed and nourish children with disabilities. Because of this training, the daycare center was able to welcome Altan and recognize the window of opportunity and interventions he needed to grow and thrive.

Like Altan, many of the children who enter Holt’s CNP are malnourished, anemic or struggling with feeding difficulties. Many have disabilities or chronic conditions, putting their health and development in jeopardy. But since it began in 2014, Holt’s child nutrition program has reached thousands of children with holistic nutrition and feeding interventions uniquely designed to meet their needs.

“Our targeted approach focuses on reaching the most vulnerable children early in life,” says Emily DeLacey, PhD, RDN, LDN, Holt’s director of nutrition and health services. “About 25% of the children we serve have a disability, and more than 60% are under the age of 5 — a crucial developmental period for growth.” Unless they receive the essential nutrition they need during this critical period, children face irreversible consequences to their development and overall wellbeing.

The CNP embraces the philosophy that how children eat is just as important as what they eat. While eating may seem intuitive to many, it can be far more complex for infants and children with disabilities. Through CNP training, our feeding specialists empower caregivers with safe feeding techniques tailored to children of different ages and abilities. This approach encourages caregivers to consider key factors, such as positioning, sensory needs and the feeding environment. Additionally, caregivers learn to conduct nutrition and health assessments, enabling them to monitor each child’s unique nutritional needs, track growth and provide personalized support.

Caregivers at the Holt-supported daycare center in Mongolia used these skills to assess Altan. They realized that every time he ate, he was experiencing aspiration as bits of food and fluid entered his lungs. Unsafe feeding practices can have many severe consequences, from aspiration and poor nutrient absorption to pneumonia, choking, emotional trauma and other psychological and developmental ailments. That’s why improving feeding practices — or changing how children are fed — is critically important. Like many children with disabilities, Altan became chronically ill due to being fed in unsafe positions. But with hands-on training, ongoing expert support and resources like Holt’s Feeding and Positioning Manual, teachers and caregivers knew that they could help Altan — and empower his mom with training and support to help her son thrive.

Recognizing that Altan needed immediate care, the CNP team in Mongolia quickly took action. They helped him sit upright in supportive seating and introduced safe feeding techniques to prevent choking or aspiration. Ensuring he had access to nutritious foods, including plenty of fruits and vegetables, they provided the foundation for his growth. With the right support and therapy, Altan gradually developed essential skills like chewing, swallowing, crawling and walking. Over time, with the dedication of his care team, he grew stronger. Eventually, he could sit up on his own, stand independently and even communicate with his mother, caregivers and friends, marking incredible progress on his journey.

About 25% of the children we serve have a disability, and more than 60% are under the age of 5 — a crucial developmental period for growth.

Emily DeLacey, PhD, RDN, LDN, Holt’s director of nutrition and health services

Altan also was able to thrive thanks to the generous support that Holt donors have provided to the Molly Holt Fund. The Molly Holt Fund is named in honor of Molly Holt, daughter of Holt’s founders and a nurse who dedicated her life to caring and advocating for children and adults with disabilities and special needs around the world. Donations to the fund go toward everything from life-changing surgeries and medical care to rehabilitative therapies and special education to Holt’s innovative child nutrition program trainings for children in orphanages, foster families or living with their birth families in the countries and communities where Holt works. In short, your generosity has made a world of difference to children like Altan.

Full of Smiles and Laughter

Today, after two years in the child nutrition program, Altan is healthier and stronger than ever before. Not only is he getting the proper nutrition to stay healthy, but he is also enjoying mealtimes! Full of smiles and laughter, he eagerly exclaims, “Let’s eat!” before digging into his favorite dishes. Fueled with good nutrition and stronger than ever, Altan enjoys being an active 3-year-old, going to school and playing with his friends.

Thanks to Holt’s generous donors who support the CNP, Altan’s life has been forever changed, and he’s not alone. Each year, thousands of children benefit from this life-changing program. From simple, cost-effective changes to improve the position of children during mealtimes to caregivers using our growth and health monitoring system to accurately meet each child’s needs, these interventions dramatically impact the health and wellbeing of children across the globe. Over the past 10 years, Holt’s innovative child nutrition program has expanded its reach to more than 110 sites in eight countries.

For a child like Altan, the entire trajectory of his life has changed, allowing him to soar beyond his limited beginnings and experience all of the joys that life can bring. Not only that, but his improved health has contributed to a stronger, more stable family. His mother is no longer fearful and stressed about Altan’s health and her ability to care for him. Instead, she is proud of the progress her son has made —and confident in their future together!  

Give to the Molly Holt Fund

Your gift helps a child with special needs receive the surgery, medicines, and specialized care they need!

Help a child now

The post Altan is Thriving, Thanks to You! appeared first on Holt International.

Shui arrived at Peace House when she was just 3 years old. Her silvery-white hair rested delicately under her sunhat, and behind her thick-brimmed sunglasses were soft eyes. Shui has albinism, a condition that presents both medical and social challenges in her home country of China.

She had just undergone a liver transplant — a major operation requiring proper after-care to ensure full recovery. Before the procedure, she had been living in an orphanage, but when her liver began failing, she needed urgent care. Many children who return to orphanages after critical medical procedures struggle to fully recover due to a lack of specialized care, often developing infections, open wounds and severe scarring.

Because of donor support for Peace House, Shui was transferred to a safe, warm sanctuary where she could heal.

Holt’s Medical Foster Home in China

Peace House is a special medical foster home in Northeast China. Holt began overseeing Peace House in 2011, but a lot has changed since those early days. The medical foster home was once located in the heart of Beijing, inside a high-rise apartment. The home welcomed nine children at a time, serving 30-40 each year. But recently, Peace House has transitioned to sharing a campus with an orphanage north of the city. With this change, Peace House has opened its doors to more children, now providing a home for up to 14 at a time.

The children now have the opportunity to spend time outdoors, something they couldn’t do in Peace House’s previous 31-story building in the city. Since Peace House shares a campus with the orphanage, children in the medical foster home can join in the fun activities organized by the orphanage, including holiday dances and celebrations. Caregivers also have more capacity to focus on providing specialized medical care, as the orphanage now handles food services and other basic needs. Before, caregivers were responsible for everything — cooking, laundry and more. These changes have allowed Peace House to impact more children in need of medical care, an opportunity made possible through the generosity of donors.

Overcoming Developmental Delays

When Shui arrived at Peace House, her self-care and motor skills were behind those typical for her age. She was unable to hold a spoon by herself or put on her own socks and shoes. Shui depended on caregivers for almost all her needs.

Early childhood care is critical to ensuring a child reaches developmental milestones. Without proper medical care, physical attention and nutrition, the effects of underdevelopment can be permanent. Institutionalization substantially increases the risk of delays. Children can experience developmental delays of a month for every three months they’re in an orphanage. But in nurturing foster homes like the ones Holt donors support in China and other countries, children receive the attentive care they need to reach critical milestones. In China, Holt donors support a number of group homes, including specialized homes for children with special needs — such as HIV.  And of course, Peace House.

After just two weeks of one-on-one care at Peace House, Shui developed the ability to feed and dress herself. And as time has passed, Shui has become more independent in caring for herself, even regarding her medical needs.

Living With Albinism in China

Shui’s white skin and hair set her apart from those around her, creating a stark contrast in appearance. She is often seen wearing sunglasses — and sometimes a sunhat — to protect her skin and eyes from the harsh effects of sunlight. Albinism, which causes a lack of melanin in the skin, significantly raises the risk of skin cancer. The absence of melanin also affects how she processes light, contributing to low vision and nystagmus, an involuntary movement of the eyes. As someone who is legally blind, Shui will likely need vision support throughout her life and may be unable to perform certain tasks, such as driving.

While Shui faces certain limitations due to her condition, visual support and accessibility adaptations will help her confidently navigate daily life. In China, those with albinism have historically faced social ostracization and discrimination. As albinism is often seen as a symbol of bad luck, babies born with this condition are sometimes abandoned. As they grow, these children are typically excluded from traditional educational institutions and have limited career opportunities. This is especially challenging in a society that highly values educational and occupational success.

There are efforts to change the stigma of albinism in China. Organizations like Chinese Organization for Albinism are working to raise awareness and advocate for those with the condition. Their initiatives focus on providing medical aid, mental health support and crucial information to individuals with albinism and their families. The organization hopes to educate Chinese society about the medical aspects of albinism, which affects an estimated 100,000 people in the country. Care for the marginalized is also at the heart of Holt International’s mission — and Shui is just one of many who deserve love and care.

Shui’s Surgery and Recovery

Although albinism shapes Shui’s daily life, it was her urgent liver needs that brought her to Peace House. After undergoing a liver transplant, Shui needed ongoing care that her orphanage simply couldn’t provide. Thankfully, Peace House has made a world of difference to her future.

Without treatment, infected livers are unable to regenerate tissue and eventually fail. While in care at her orphanage, Shui was able to find a match and receive a healthy liver. The journey doesn’t end there, though, which is why Peace House is instrumental in helping children recover from medical procedures and providing support for children living with lifelong medical conditions.

In the first year following her surgery, Shui underwent frequent tests to monitor for signs of possible liver rejection. She began her twice-daily immunosuppressant medication regimen to help her body accept her new liver — which is a lot for a 3-year-old to undergo. Dedicated caregivers at Peace House helped Shui recover by administering her medications, performing needed tests and providing for her meals and basic needs.

In the time since her surgery, Shui has continually been impacted by her liver transplant. She continues to take immunosuppressants daily and has monthly check-ups to monitor the function of her liver. Along with the challenges of her liver, her albinism will be a lifelong journey, with her vision continuing to pose obstacles in her daily activities. She currently needs glasses but due to her nystagmus, she cannot be fitted for glasses until she is older. This leaves her in need of assistance while navigating daily tasks. Shui will continue to live at Peace House for another year, where she will receive care and learn to manage her medical needs as independently as possible. After completing her stay with Peace House, Shui will return to the orphanage, where she will attend school and continue to receive medical care from orphanage caregivers.

Shui’s Future Growing Up in an Orphanage in China

Through the generosity of Holt donors, Peace House has supported Shui through her early childhood development and a major medical procedure. She is continuously learning to manage her needs as a liver transplant survivor and a girl with albinism. Her caregivers aim to help her achieve independence as she progresses. As for her long-term future, Shui must continue to overcome adversity.

Last August, after more than 30 years, China decided to end its international adoption program. This policy change has altered the future of many children, particularly those with medical and special needs. Holt International hopes for international adoption to one day resume in China, as the need for international adoption persists. In the meantime, some children living in orphanages may be adopted domestically in China. But in reality, it is most often the youngest, healthiest children who are adopted by families within China.  As a child considered to have special needs, Shui is unlikely to be adopted domestically in China.

Because of this reality, the care Peace House has provided for Shui makes all the difference for her future. Through Peace House, she has received nurturing, ongoing care that she likely would never have otherwise received. She has made strides in her development, overcoming adversity and growing in her ability to function independently. While Shui may spend the rest of her childhood in an institution, her healthy development with Peace House caregivers will impact the rest of her life. At 5 years old, Shui is a curious and caring little girl who loves to help and share her toys with others. Peace House has given Shui a voice, which she uses to sing — even incorporating Peking opera into her repertoire from time to time.

As Shui returns to an orphanage with resilience, more children living in orphanages with medical needs will experience the haven of Peace House. Because of the generosity of donors sharing their hearts, more children will heal and overcome seemingly unsurmountable odds to live healthy lives.

Give to the Molly Holt Fund

Your gift helps a child with special needs receive the surgery, medicines, and specialized care they need!

Help a child now

The post A Haven of Healing and Peace appeared first on Holt International.

Every year, we ask our generous supporters to give to the Molly Holt Fund to help children living with disabilities or other special needs around the world. The Molly Holt Fund is named in honor of Molly Holt, daughter of Holt’s founders and a nurse who dedicated her life to caring and advocating for children and adults with disabilities and special needs around the world.

Donations to the Molly Holt Fund go toward everything from life-changing surgeries and medical care to rehabilitative therapies and special education programs for children in Holt’s programs — whether in orphanages, foster families or with their birth families in the countries and communities where Holt works.

This year, in addition to donations, we asked donors to share their prayers for the children they are helping to support through the Molly Holt Fund. We received piles of responses! Here are just a few of your prayers for children:

Thank you for your heart and compassion for children with disabilities and special needs around the world!

Give to the Molly Holt Fund

Your gift helps a child with special needs receive the surgery, medicines, and specialized care they need!

Help a child now

The post Prayers for Children with Special Needs appeared first on Holt International.

In northwest Cambodia, there’s a village in the jungle home to many Holt-supported families and children. Along narrow dirt roads winding through lush palms and ferns are the homes where they live — some thatched and on high stilts, others made of concrete and metal sheeting. In many ways it’s a tropical paradise.

But families who live here also struggle with poverty and, among other things, a lack of medical care.

Heng and Her Children

One of these families is 35-year-old Heng and her three children. At first, the help she needed was similar to many of her neighbors in the village — food deliveries, educational help for their children and income-generating support. But her family’s needs ended up being greater, and more life-threatening, than she ever expected…

Heng lives on a piece of her cousin’s land in this jungly village outside the city of Battambang, Cambodia. She has a 10-year-old son and just two years ago, she also gave birth to twin baby girls, Sophea and Neary. She has no support from her babies’ father, and struggled to provide for them on her own, often going without even the basic items she and her children needed.

She didn’t have enough money to buy cow’s milk or even enough food for the babies, her older son or herself. Her own malnutrition and poor health meant that she also wasn’t able to produce enough breastmilk to feed Sophea and Neary. Both girls were beginning to look dangerously thin. That’s when neighbors in the village first referred her to Holt Cambodia.

Food for Hungry Children

A social worker from Holt Cambodia came to Heng’s home, sat down with her and listened to her share about her life and the needs her family was experiencing. It was evident that they needed help, and they especially needed more to eat. So right away, Heng received milk, bottles for the babies, rice, noodles, cooking oil, soy sauce, fried fish and more.

Finally, relieved, she had enough food to feed her children.

But even after weeks and then months of nutritious food, one of her twin daughters, Sophea, still wasn’t growing. This was all the more evident when Heng compared Sophea to her twin sister, Neary, who was putting on weight and developing with the increased nutrition. Sophea, by contrast, cried all the time, and refused food and milk. She even seemed to have difficulty breathing.

Heng’s Holt Cambodia social worker took note of Sophea’s health over several visits she made to check up on Heng and her family, and strongly encouraged Heng to take little Sophea to the hospital.

Access to Medical Care

When Sophea was 11 months old, Heng took her to see a doctor at their local hospital in Battambang. And they received difficult news: Sophea had a congenital heart condition.

A diagnosis like this is extremely difficult for every child, and every parent who loves them and wants to do all they can to care for them. But for a family living in poverty, it’s all the more devastating. Heng, like so many other parents of children with medical conditions living in poverty, knew she wouldn’t be able to afford the lifesaving care her daughter needed. She didn’t know what to do.

But children like Sophea are exactly why we have the Molly Holt Fund.

The Molly Holt Fund Provides Critical Medical Care

Molly Holt was a nurse and the daughter of our founders, someone who spent her life caring for children with special needs. She loved all of them deeply, and believed firmly that every child deserves a family and medical care to give them the best opportunity in life.

It’s because of Molly’s amazing life and legacy that we have the Molly Holt Fund. Each year, Holt donors generously give to care for children with special needs in Molly’s honor. The Molly Holt Fund is a continuation of Molly’s life and work — providing heart surgeries, cleft lip and palate operations, physical therapy, lifesaving medications and more to children who desperately need it.

This past spring, we shared Sophea’s story and need with Holt donors, who gave generously to the Molly Holt Fund to help her and children like her. And because of this support, Holt Cambodia and her mother, Sophea got the lifesaving surgery she needed.

Sophea’s Heart Surgery

The local doctor told Heng that there wasn’t anyone who could do the surgery in Battambang, but that she should take Sophea to a children’s hospital in Siem Reap. Amazingly, this hospital would even provide the operation for free. But Siem Reap was over 100 miles away — which would mean unreachable travel expenses for a family living in poverty.

But thankfully, Holt donors — through the Molly Holt Fund — were able to cover the transportation costs, accommodations, food and more that Sophea and Heng needed for their journey and long stay at the hospital.

Sophea received the surgery to correct her heart condition, and made a full recovery. She and her mom returned home soon after.  

Almost right away, Sophea began to gain weight. She began to grow — nearly catching up with her twin sister!

Not only did Sophea receive the urgent and lifesaving medical care she needed, but her family is continuing in Holt’s program, receiving the food they need to grow healthy and tools they need to overcome poverty someday.

Without help, Sophea would have continued to be sick, and her life would have continued to be in danger. But now, she has the healthy heart she needed to grow healthy and strong.

Give to the Molly Holt Fund

Your gift helps a child with special needs receive the surgery, medicines, and specialized care they need!

Help a child now

The post The Healthy Heart She Needed appeared first on Holt International.

Eight-year-old Arban could roll over on his own, but he couldn’t crawl. He could sit comfortably in a chair, but he wasn’t able to walk. He could hold things in his left hand, but he couldn’t feed himself.

Arban has cerebral palsy, which made the right side of his body especially weak. He had trouble with basic movements and daily tasks like eating, standing and walking on his own. He lives in Mongolia with his grandparents. They love him and take the best care of him they can, but this has become more of a struggle as he’s grown. 

“Due to his severe muscle tension, it was very difficult for us to carry an 8-year-old boy,” his grandparents said. “Holding and lifting him makes everything hard for him and us.”

For Arban’s whole life, his grandparents have desperately hoped for the opportunity to help him. But even if a miracle opportunity did come about, they wondered how they would ever pay for it…

Raising Money for Surgery

Then, his doctors found it. There’s a procedure they said would help him, a spinal surgery that encourages independent movement in the legs. It might even allow Arban to walk.

But there’s not a single hospital in Mongolia that performs this surgery. Desperately looking for options, his doctors and grandparents found a hospital in New Delhi, India that would perform the surgery. But they would have to remain there for three months while Arban healed and received physical therapy. The total cost would be an unreachable $40,000.

This was far too much money for Arban’s grandparents to afford on their own, as a family from an impoverished rural community in Mongolia. But they were committed to helping him and started raising money through donations from family and friends. They even sold their car, and as many of their other possessions as they could. After a year, they raised more than half of what they needed, but it still wasn’t enough.

“Although we made the decision to seek medical treatment for our grandson, the process of finding money to pay for high expenses was time consuming and stressful,” his grandparents said.

Thankfully the Molly Holt Fund exists so children just like Arban can get the medical care they need and deserve.

The Molly Holt Fund Helps Children Like Arban

Molly Holt was a nurse and the daughter of our founders, someone who spent her life caring for children with special needs. She loved all of them deeply, and believed firmly that every child deserves a family and medical care to give them the best opportunity in life.

“We had already lost a year when we received your generous donation. There are no words to describe how grateful we are for the financial and emotional support you have given to us in such a short period of time, to improve the quality of our grandson’s life.”

Amundra’s grandparents

It’s because of Molly’s amazing life and legacy that we have the Molly Holt Fund. Each year, Holt donors generously give to care for children with special needs in Molly’s honor. The Molly Holt Fund is a continuation of Molly’s life and work — providing heart surgeries, cleft lip and palate operations, physical therapy, lifesaving medications and more to vulnerable children who desperately need it.

Arban is exactly who the Molly Holt Fund was designed to help! As soon as Holt Mongolia heard about Arban’s grandparents’ efforts, they stepped in with donations from the Molly Holt Fund to provide the rest of the money needed for Arban’s surgery.

“We had already lost a year when we received your generous donation,” Arban’s grandparents said. “There are no words to describe how grateful we are for the financial and emotional support you have given to us in such a short period of time, to improve the quality of our grandson’s life.”

Surgery in India

So, last summer, Arban and his grandparents gathered their things. Then they made the long journey from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia to New Delhi, India. It took considerable effort to transport Arban, with his impacted mobility, on such a long trip. His grandparents were nervous but so excited! They hoped that the grueling journey would be worth it for the sake of their precious grandson’s opportunities in life.

Little Arban received surgery on May 27, 2022. He had to spend nine hours on his stomach with a tube down his throat while the surgeons operated.

But the surgery was a success! So were the three months rehabilitation post-op in India, before the family could travel home.

“His legs look like other kids’ now!”

Arban’s grandmother

Before the operation, Arban’s legs had been stiff and angled, prohibiting him from walking and causing him a great deal of discomfort every day.

But today, after surgery and therapy, Arban’s grandmother says joyfully, “His legs look like other kids’ now!”

Arban and his grandparents traveled safely back to Mongolia in August 2022, where he continued to receive support and therapeutic care. He has been learning to walk and stand on his own, to the joy of his family.

Thank You, from Arban’s Grandparents 

After the surgery and return to Mongolia, Arban’s grandparents wrote a detailed letter thanking Holt donors for their generosity. Watching their 8-year-old grandson take his first steps, they were overwhelmed with gratitude.

“Although it is sad that we do not know each and every one of you who have donated and supported us and cannot thank you personally,” wrote his grandparents. “We want to emphasize that we feel proud and respectful of your organization as we think about how generous and humane you have been for the welfare of our grandson. As a result of the surgeries, my grandson’s quality of life improved significantly.”

This is what the Molly Holt Fund exists to do: provide orphaned and vulnerable children with life-changing medical care so they can live as healthy and independent as possible. Thanks to his loving grandparents and generous Holt donors, Arban can look forward to a life with greater freedom and opportunity!

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Your gift helps a child with special needs receive the surgery, medicines, and specialized care they need!

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I have dwarfism and stand at only 3 feet tall, so most of the conversations I have about my life have to do with that. But lately, I have had a strong desire to discuss my other source of individuality – the fact that I am a Korean adoptee.

I can only talk about my own experience. I understand that all adoption stories are different and have their own difficulties and joys. I don’t want to tear down anyone else’s experiences. I just want to tell my story – my “Love” story.

I was found abandoned in the streets of Ilsan, South Korea and was brought to the Ilsan Center, where I stayed until I was adopted at 4 years old. During my time at the Ilsan Center, I was placed in the “Love” house and was cared for by wonderful housemothers, including Molly Holt. 

Ilsan is a care home where physically and mentally disabled children live and receive specialized therapy and medical care, support to become independent and more until they can — hopefully — be adopted.  All of the children here are disabled or have “special needs.” And I am proud to say that I am a special needs adoptee.

The Love Family

My parents, Dwayne and Jackie Love, lived in Pleasant Hill, Oregon and had previously adopted a sibling group and an older child from Korea. My mother had seen my picture in the Holt International magazine, called up my dad while he was working as a truck driver, and said that she had found their next son. She called Holt International and inquired about me. Apparently I was in hot demand, because another family was in the process of adopting me at the time. Fortunately, the other family decided not to go through with the adoption, and after a couple of weeks, my mother got a phone call asking if they were still interested in me.

My parents made a lot of adjustments upon my arrival home. Adding a new member is always hard, but because of my dwarfism I also had some physical limitations that would require surgery. From the age of 5 to 21, I underwent 13 surgeries. A lot of my childhood was spent at Shriners Hospital for Children in Portland, Oregon — having surgery, recovering from surgery, or having the doctor tell me that I needed another surgery. My mother never left my side during those times. As much as I feel my childhood might have been stolen because of all the surgeries, all that time was spent with my lovely mother, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

My parents are both Caucasian and had two birth children before they started to adopt. About a year and a half after I was adopted, they fostered my older sister, Trisha, who has a disability as well. They later adopted her. My parents went from being a family of four, to a family of nine in just over two years. They always told us that our birth parents loved us and chose to give us a better life by making the hard decision to place us for adoption. I never have to question that. I believe it to be true. 

Throughout my life – from birth to the orphanage – there was never a gap in love. 

Throughout my life – from birth to the orphanage – there was never a gap in love. I always had a certain sense of protection that never made me question my identity. My birthmother knew she couldn’t take care of me and made the hard decision to abandon me in a busy city. Could she have gone about it in a different way? Sure. I was found wandering the streets of Ilsan. For how long, I’m not sure. But I have to believe that my birthmother didn’t have a choice. My adoptive parents have always been open and honest with me about my past and my adoption, answering any and all questions. They made me who I am today, and that’s all that matters.

As much as these next few words might be a little controversial, I’m going to say them anyway: by adopting me, I believe my parents helped saved me. I know a lot of people who would be offended by that statement and disagree with me, saying that I could have had a successful life in Korea with my birthmother. My parents would never claim that they saved me, and would probably say that I’ve blessed them just as much as they’ve blessed me. But listen to what I’m saying. By adopting me, my parents were able to provide me with access to quality medical care – care that I needed to survive. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Today, I am in a place where I am more accepted and have more opportunities to grow and succeed – opportunities that, because of my disability, I would have never had in my native land. This is why I believe my parents helped make all the difference for me. They gave me the best opportunity to be successful and accepted.

Having a disability and being 3 feet tall is hard to explain. But this is my life. I don’t know any different.

For me, the shortest and best way to explain it is like this: Imagine requiring special assistance in every part of your life. From a stool to help you reach the bathroom counter, to pedal extenders and a booster seat to help you drive, to asking strangers to reach something at the grocery store and not being able to carry many groceries because of your short stature and height restriction to push a cart. Also, you are constantly observed and pointed out as something unique. I always tell people, it’s like being a celebrity without any of the perks. I am very fortunate to live an independent life, which I believe was only possible because of the access I had living in the United States.

As I look at the landscape of international adoption and observe how it has shifted toward special needs adoption, it’s my desire to be a voice for those adoptees, and to share my experience with them. I am never going to be shy or ashamed about the labels I am given. I am a Korean Adoptee. I am disabled, and I am a special needs adoptee. All of those labels define who I am as a person as much as my last name defines me as a member of the Love family. But I am not going to let those labels pigeonhole me or allow me to make excuses for what I can or cannot do. I know that through these labels, I have been given a voice, a platform to speak about my special situation.

Loved Without Condition

One person I cherished the most during my short time in Korea was my physical therapist at Ilsan, who I was able to see for several days when I traveled to Korea two years ago. Because of my disability, I spent a lot of time with her. I had a lot of pictures of this lady when I was adopted and was able to have those photos explained to me. She told me that she would take me on special trips. She expressed how grateful she was to see me as an adult and how well I turned out. This amazing woman loved me without condition.

I could tell you that I have been successful because of my own drive and determination. But that would be disingenuous. I have been successful because of the people who have cared about me. The people who gave me a little bit of themselves. From my birthmother and my housemother, to my physical therapists and my parents. I am a reflection of all of them. My success comes from them. I thank them for their sacrifices, and hope that I can make them proud – showing them how much a “special needs” adoptee can accomplish in this life.

Help Protect International Adoption for Children

Your gift today will help a child be adopted, care for them while they wait, and even ensure that they receive critical post-adoption help for life!

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The post A “Love” Story appeared first on Holt International.

Holt families and donors share about the impact that Molly Holt had on them and their children — and how her legacy continues on in their service to children with special needs. 

The daughter of Holt’s founders, Harry and Bertha Holt, Molly Holt dedicated her life to children.

Molly spent most of her adult life at the Ilsan Center in Korea, a nurturing, long-term care home that her parents built in the early 1960s for children and adults with special medical, developmental and physical needs. As a nurse and foster mother to the residents of Ilsan, Molly worked to ensure they received the specialized care they needed to reach their potential and live as independently as possible.

Through her tireless advocacy, Molly also made it possible for many children in care at Ilsan to join loving, permanent families through adoption. Today, hundreds of families adopt children with special needs every year from countries around the world. But long before it was common, Molly actively sought families for the children whom others considered “unadoptable.” Like her parents before her, Molly helped change the culture of adoption by showing that every child is equally worthy of love and acceptance, and that every child deserves to be part of a family.

Though she passed away in May 2019, Molly Holt’s legacy and life still have an incredible and continuing impact on children and families all around the world.

Here are just some of the ways Molly’s life touched children and families, and how she continues to inspire people to care for children with special needs:

“I was a member of the Holt Motherland tour in 1988. It was a privilege to meet Molly and see her almost daily while we stayed at Ilsan. Her devotion and commitment to the residents and their well-being was uncompromised, in a way that was inspiring as well as aspirational.” — Jewel K. (Park Bo Hae), Holt adoptee

“I remember it was a rare treat if Molly made it to the annual picnic, first at the family home and later at parks. Usually her first desire was to be at Ilsan. Oh what a heart for the children she had!” — Mark and Julianne U., Holt adoptive parents

“When I went to visit Korea seven years ago, I had the opportunity to meet her. I shared my adoption story and birth papers and enjoyed a light snack with her and Dr. Cho, who was my doctor in Korea. She was the loveliest woman and I’ll be forever grateful to her and her family for creating Holt.” — Brielle C., Holt adoptee

“I met Molly 21 years ago when I volunteered at Ilsan. She was such an advocate … We used to talk about the books we were currently reading and I borrowed many from her during the two months I volunteered. What a special person and I feel so fortunate to have met her.” — Dianna M., Holt volunteer and adoptee (1976)

“Molly has a special place in our hearts because she escorted our son home to us almost 13 years ago! She was so gracious and knew exactly what to do to make us comfortable. He was our first child and we were so nervous. She was simply amazing.” — Amanda T., Holt adoptive parent

The Molly Holt Fund

It’s because of Molly’s amazing life and legacy that we have the Molly Holt Fund. Each year, Holt donors and families generously give to care for children with special needs in Molly’s honor. The Molly Holt Fund is a continuation of Molly’s life and work — providing heart surgeries, cleft lip and palate operations, physical therapy, lifesaving medications and more to children in orphanages who desperate need it.

Give to the Molly Holt Fund!

Provide urgently needed medical care to a child in an orphanage with special needs.

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The post Continuing Molly Holt’s Legacy appeared first on Holt International.

Three-year-old Ping lives in an orphanage in China and is a favorite among his caregivers and friends. He loves to give big hugs and greetings to everyone he meets. He is an amazing little boy.

Like many kids living in orphanages in China, Ping also has special needs. He was born with deformities in both of his wrists and hands. Two of his fingers were misplaced and he couldn’t move them, and his wrists bent all the way towards his thumbs.

Despite his limitations, he adapted and did his best.

“Even though he has special needs on his hands,” his orphanage caregivers share, “he tried his best to grab and eat fruits and dumplings.”

But Ping deserved to have the best care, and best future, possible. And doctors recommended that he receive surgery to help correct his hands and wrists.

The government provides the medical care needed for children living in orphanages. But the medical procedure itself is only one piece of what a child needs to heal.

“In China, the system is different,” says Jian Chen, Holt’s vice president of China programs. “If you send kids to the hospital for surgery, you’re always required to have somebody stay there full time to care for them.”

For a child in an orphanage, this is problematic.

“In China, the system is different. If you send kids to the hospital for surgery, you’re always required to have somebody stay there full time to care for them.”

Jian Chen, Holt’s vice president of China programs

Most orphanages are short on staff to begin with, and simply cannot spare a staff member to stay in the hospital with just one child. So for many children, the critical care they need ends up getting postponed or delayed — then postponed or delayed again. Or, orphanages feel forced to settle for less-than-expert care in a local hospital, as opposed to the expert medical care found in a bigger city.

Then, there’s the issue of post-operative care.

“Normally,” says Jian, “they only keep kids for a day or two and then [send them] back to the orphanage. But when a child has surgery, they need better attention and therapy to recover. And [in an orphanage], it is hard to protect them from infection.”

Almost all children in orphanages, in China and around the world, have special needs — many of whom require critical medical care and surgeries. Some children are like Ping and have deformities or limb differences. Others have Down syndrome or cerebral palsy. And others are considered to have “special needs” because they are older in age or have experienced complex trauma. Special needs require special resources and care — special resources and care that simply aren’t available for children living in orphanages.

But every child deserves to be healthy. To have the opportunity to develop and grow to their full potential. That’s why caring for children growing up in orphanages — especially children with special needs — is such an integral part of what Holt donors do around the world.

And that’s why Peace House is so important.

Ping’s First Surgery

In October 2019, Ping moved from his orphanage to Peace House. Funded entirely by the generosity of Holt’s donors, Peace House cares for approximately 35 children a year. At the foster home, children receive round-the-clock care from a specially trained team of caregivers who help the children grow strong enough for surgery and to make a full recovery afterwards.

“This is the place where children receive the best care,” a Peace House caregiver said, explaining the purpose of the facility. “We take children who no one thinks have any value, children who are sick or suffering, and nurse them back to health.”

While staying at Peace House, Ping had the chance to be assessed by specialists in Beijing. They determined that he would need several surgeries to correct his wrists and hands, but he would have to become stronger in order to receive the surgery.

So for one month, Ping lived at Peace House where he received nutritious meals and attentive round-the-clock care. And at the end of November, he was finally strong enough. He had his first surgery, and it was a great success!

To help Ping’s wrists grow correctly, the doctors placed external fixators. For months after the procedure, they would have to be cleaned and adjusted daily to gradually straighten out his bones.

And it’s at this time, after surgery, when Peace House becomes even more critically important for children.

“Sometimes, it’s heartbreaking. A child may receive a surgery, then the child will go back to their orphanage and they come back in six months for the second surgery and they’ve gotten worse.”

Sandy, the director of Peace House

This ongoing care he needed would be intensive. Doctors said Ping would need attentive and careful care. But in an orphanage with so many other children, this would be hard to find.

Most orphanages just don’t have the medical resources, caregivers or capacity to give the attentive post-operative care that a recovering child needs.

“Sometimes, it’s heartbreaking,” said Sandy, the director of Peace House. “A child may receive a surgery, then the child will go back to their orphanage and they come back in six months for the second surgery and they’ve gotten worse.”

Fortunately, Ping had the opportunity to go back to Peace House after his procedure. He got the opportunity to heal.

Healing Care at Peace House

When Ping returned to Peace House after his first surgery, the additional care and attention made all the difference for his recovery.

“Ping was active and in an age of exploration,” his caregiver said about the time he was there with them. Keeping Ping still was no easy task!

He was assigned his very own caregiver so that he would have one-on-one care. Every day that he was there, Ping’s caregiver followed him closely, ensuring other children wouldn’t touch his arms, and that he wouldn’t fall down and injure himself.

Both his primary caregiver and the other caregivers told him stories, watched cartoons with him, played games and sang songs to keep him happy, learning and healthy.

Every day Ping’s caregiver adjusted his external fixators and cleaned his bandages. And every day, Ping was healing and growing stronger.

After his initial recovery at Peace House, Ping returned to his orphanage. This timing coincided with a change to the Peace House facility as well. In order to adhere to new childcare regulations in China, Peace House moved from an apartment in a 31-story building in the city to on site at one of Holt’s partner orphanages in Beijing. During this transition, many of the children living in orphanages had to return for the remainder of their recoveries — including Ping.

Ping’s Peace House caregivers worried for his health, but there was no other choice.

Care Beyond Peace House

But even once he was back at his orphanage, Holt caregivers continued to look after Ping — calling and video-chatting with his orphanage to ensure he received the care he needed. And several months later, with prompting by Holt, the orphanage staff took Ping for a checkup at the local hospital. They received great news! Ping’s arms were adjusted to normal, and he no longer needed the external fixators!

But the doctors at the local hospital weren’t experts in his condition. They weren’t the doctors in Beijing who had performed his initial operation. And unfortunately, they couldn’t take Ping back to those doctors for one very unexpected and serious reason — the coronavirus pandemic.

In January, the spread of a novel coronavirus was just being realized in China — the epicenter of the outbreak. Quarantine began, travel within China shut down and hospitals limited their capacity. There was no way that they could take Ping to Beijing to have his external fixators removed.

“Because of the virus, many children have had to wait for a surgery,” Jian says. “Unless it’s an emergency.”

Ping’s operation was considered an emergency. He had to have his external fixators removed. But with lockdowns and travel restrictions and the dangers of exposing Ping and his caregivers to the virus, how would his surgery be possible?

While nearly the whole world struggled to a stop, the work of caring for children can never be stopped. Unprecedented times call for unprecedented solutions. And that’s exactly what happened for Ping.

Care Through the Pandemic

Holt China — with support and resources from Holt donors — reached out to Ping’s orphanage, his doctors in Beijing, and his doctors at the local hospital. And they coordinated something amazing.

On April 13, 2020, doctors in Beijing guided doctors at the local hospital via live video stream to perform Ping’s operation.

And again, it was a success.

They removed his external fixators, and then put each of Ping’s wrists in casts to help the final healing.

All of this, for one very special, very deserving little boy in China.

Ping will need ongoing medical checkups and treatment, but he has likely already made it through the most difficult steps of his treatment and recovery. And now that he has received the care he needs, it is even more likely that he will be able to join a permanent, loving family through adoption.

Because of the care and generosity of Holt donors who support Peace House and other services for children living in orphanages with special needs, vulnerable children — like Ping — can overcome the toughest of odds. Even when those odds include a global pandemic.

Despite the pandemic, Ping got the best care possible by the best doctors and the best caregivers — pandemic-proof care. Care made possible by doctors across China, devoted caregivers and generous Holt donors. All for one very special, very deserving boy whose future is now even brighter.

And because of Holt donor’s amazing gifts to the Molly Holt Fund, this brighter future is possible for even more children.

“It is difficult for everybody, but our staff and the orphanage staff do whatever they can to serve the children as much as they can,” says Jian. “I hope people understand that we need support.”

As of 2020, 11 children are living at the new Peace House, receiving critical pre- and post-operative care. But as orphanage lockdowns are lifted, Jian hopes that Peace House will be able to reach its full capacity of 16 children at a time.

“We’ve already seen a great result after these children entered Peace House,” Jian says.

And with the incredible generosity of Holt donors, more and more children living in orphanages will get the same chance — the chance to heal and the chance to overcome seemingly unsurmountable odds.

Give to the Molly Holt Fund!

Provide urgently needed medical care to a child in an orphanage with special needs.

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The post Pandemic-Proof Care for Children appeared first on Holt International.