(NAPSA)—One rainy night in March 2002, a telephone call was placed from the director of an orphanage near Beijing, China, to the Langfang Children’s Home. The children’s home, run by the Philip Hayden Foundation of Menasha, Wis., is dedicated to helping Chinese orphans. A baby boy had been found abandoned in a fld on the outskirts of the city, badly burned, and wrapped in a tattered blanket with the equivalent of $1.25 stuffed inside. No one knew anything about the child — who his mother is, how he was injured or even his age. The baby was takenfirst to the Langfang Children’s Home, then to a local hospital to be stabilized, and finally to Beijing Children’s Hospital. Attending doctors there gave the child less than a 20 percent chance of survival. “Give us your telephone number and we'll call you when it is over,” said the doctors. But the Foundation’s Lisa Bentley was not going to let them give up that easily. “Do whatever it takes to save him,” she said. “Spare no expense.” Immediate surgery was needed if the baby wasto live. That night, she gave him the nameLevi. Following surgery, Levi’s chances of survival were judged to have improved to 70 percent. The imminent threat to his life was over, but he still needed specialized treatment. Lisa learned of the Shriners Hospital for Children in Boston that specializes in burns and contacted John Schultz, M.D., at the hospital. After much government red tape, and with the generosity of United Airlines, Lisa and Levi arrived at the Boston Hospital on April 11, 2002. The baby, estimated by Shrine doctors to be about six weeks old when admitted, underwent numerous surgers and physical and occupational therapy. He quickly became a favorite of the staff. He also became a television star. Several TV stations inter- Baby Levi thanks Shriners Hospi- tals by showing off his miniature fez. vwed Lisa and reported on the remarkable story. Shriners, too, spent time with the baby, even getting him a child-sized fez. “Maybe someday he’ll be a Shriner,” said hospital volunteer Craig Walsh. In late August 2002, Lisa arrived to take home a happy, healthy — and a good deal chubbr — baby Levi. He'll be back for more surgery next year with his new mom. Lisa and her husband, John, are in the process of adopting the luckst baby in the world. For more information on Shriners network of 22 hospitals that provide medical care and services totally free of charge to children with orthopaedic problems, burns and spinal cord injurs, write to: Shriners International Headquarters, Public Relations Dept., 2900 Rocky Point Dr., Tampa, FL 33607, or visit the Web site at www.shrinershq.org. Treatmentis provided to children under age 18 regardless to race, religion or relationship to a Shriner. If you know a child Shriners can help, call 1-800-237-5055 in the United States or 1-800-3617256 in Canada.
