Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Catholic News

Home

Home
Catholic
Religion News
Chinese woman rescued over 30 abandoned babies

Chinese woman rescued over 30 abandoned babies

Last updated on: August 2, 2012 at 8:05 am by CNA Daily News

Chinese woman rescued over 30 abandoned babies 2012-08-02T08:05:00+00:00 CNA Daily News

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Washington D.C., Aug 2, 2012 / 02:05 am (CNA).- Reports of a woman in China who saved dozens of abandoned babies in recent decades has drawn praise for her heroic actions and criticism for the one-child policy that leads to the practice of child desertion.

“These children need love and care,” said Lou Xiaoying. “They are all precious human lives. I do not understand how people can leave such a vulnerable baby on the streets.”

A July 30 article in the Daily Mail told the story of the 88-year-old woman who has dedicated the last 40 years of her life to saving abandoned Chinese babies from death.

Lou has made her living by recycling garbage. One day in 1972, she found an abandoned baby girl lying among the trash in the street.

The child “would have died had we not rescued her and taken her in,” she said. As she and her husband watched the baby grow, she realized that she had “a real love of caring for children.”

Lou, who has one biological daughter of her own, has rescued more than 30 babies. She and her husband – who died 17 years ago – raised four of the abandoned children and helped the rest find homes with family members and friends.

“I realized if we had strength enough to collect garbage how could we not recycle something as important as human lives,” she said.

Her youngest adopted child – a boy named Zhang Qilin – was in a dustbin when she found him. Although she was 82 years old, she decided to take him in, giving him a Chinese name that means precious and rare.

“Even though I was already getting old I could not simply ignore the baby and leave him to die in the trash,” she said. “He looked so sweet and so needy. I had to take him home with me.”

She explained that she took him back to her house, “a very small modest house in the countryside,” and nursed him back to health. Today her other children help look after the seven-year-old child, “a thriving little boy, who is happy and healthy.”

According to the Daily Mail, Lou is well respected as “a local hero” in the community, saving children despite her lack of money and power.

Mark Shan, spokesman for China Aid Association, a group that promotes religious freedom and aids victims of human rights violations in China, said that that he has heard similar stories of people “picking up children from the streets.”

Abandoned children – particularly girls – are a significant problem in the country, caused by both a “very strict law” and a “son preference culture,” he told CNA.

The nation’s one child policy is strictly enforced, and violating the law can result in heavy fines and even the loss of a job or home, he explained.

“The punishment is really severe,” he said. “And the children will suffer a lot.”

China’s one child policy has drawn considerable international attention in recent months, after blind pro-life activist Chen Guangcheng escaped from house arrest and was eventually able to come with his family to the United States.

Chen had been imprisoned after exposing the forced abortions and sterilizations that are routinely used to enforce the policy.

The strict regulation, which prohibits most couples from having more than a single child, is attributed with creating a troubling gender imbalance in the country and leading to high levels of female infanticide, abortion and abandonment, as well as the trafficking of young girls into child prostitution.

In addition to the law, Shan noted, traditional Chinese culture stresses the importance of producing an heir and therefore values male children over female children.

When couples are only permitted to have one child, they may choose to abandon an unwanted baby girl, he said, because “every family wants a son.”

Previous Post

August 2, 2012

Former Vatican ambassadors launch Catholics for Romney group

Next Post

August 2, 2012 Cardinal remembers Pope Pius XII as wartime hero, saint

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Americas Asia - Pacific Europe Middle East - Africa Uncategorized US Vatican

Select a Month November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What did Jesus do right after being baptized?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Returned to Galilee Started preaching Visited the temple Went into the wilderness