Xiaobin was born with a rare congenital disorder called Apert Syndrome. His head looks squashed and his midface is sunken in. He has little knobs for fingers and toes that are fused together. As you can see from the pictures, these deformities are severe. It is not just Xiao Bin’s appearance that deprives him of a normal life. Because his skull is prematurely fused, it does not grow in a normal way. As his brain grows, it does so in a cramped and misshaped skull. This restricts his mental development.
Xiao Bin was abandoned by his parents. He first arrived at Blue Sky Healing Home in October 2009 from a state orphanage when he was one year old. At that time, he could not sit up or speak, and could only lie on the mattress for most part of the day. He looked dull, listless and had little eye contact with people.
Currently, he is learning to walk and is now able to react and respond to people around him. He loves to smile and is very expressive. Like children his age, he loves being carried and hugged, and he will make happy sounds to express his joy. Despite not having normal fingers, Xiao Bin loves to grab toys using both his hands and enjoys the sense of touch.
Xiao Bin will travel to Singapore in early May to undergo cranioplasty surgery for release of skull pressure at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital under the care of Dr Vincent Yeow. He will be admitted in the hospital for approximately 7 days and stay in Singapore for 4 weeks for follow-up. Xiao Bin will also undergo eye, respiratory and hearing assessments as well.
Please help support Xiao Bin and Blue Sky's work with the orphans of China. For more information, please send an email : enquiries@blueskyhealinghome.org
