Xi'an, China: City traffic, 2007
Two years ago I was in China with the BYU-Hawaii Concert choir, touring with them as a writer. During our stay in Xi’an, a small group of us went to visit a wonderful woman with a foster home in a high-rise apartment building in that city of over seven million people.
We held the babies, and visited with Amanda and the nannies. It was an incredible experience–so much love! So many babies who need nurturing and love!
At the time I thought, “What a great story this would be! I need to find a way to share it.”
BYU-Hawaii Concert Choir group love Starfish babies.
In October 2009, the big-hearted woman with the foster home, Amanda de Lange, a South African native and graduate of Brigham Young University in Provo, UT, was awarded the Alumni Service to Family Award. When I heard about the recognition she was receiving from her alma mater, I felt that the time had come for the story to be told!
Amanda has helped nearly 100 special needs children over the past four years, and seen around 24 of them adopted–the goal of the Starfish Foster Home.
In September 2005, she was about to leave China to accept a lucrative position in Korea and work on a masters degree, when she decided to apply for permission to open a foster home. In less than a week she was presented with the opportunity to sign a contract with the Chinese government to foster children from the state orphanages. Her big heart couldn’t pass up the opportunity to make a dream come true!
For the past four years she has been on one grand adventure after another. From a small, but overwhelming beginning of six babies, she now has over 50. Amanda takes the babies with special needs–those who might not otherwise have a real chance at survival. She provides nurturing, nourishment, and needed surgeries for babies with spina bifida, cleft palate/lip, and heart problems. Skilled doctors have volunteered their time to do the needed surgeries and have worked little miracles for Amanda’s babies.
Starfish Children’s Services, the non-profit organization Amanda now directs, is dedicated to helping these special babies find health and happy, loving adoptive parents.
Below is a 5:40 minute video that will give you a glimpse of what she is doing. We are hoping to receive funding to begin an hour-long documentary in the next few weeks, so that it can be finished by the end of August 2010.
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Great job Rosemarie… you’re much closer to being an award winning TV producer with this project…!! /;+D
Alooooooo-ha…!
TomG
What can I do to volunteer 2-4 weeks in China at this orphanage? How can I contribute to sponsor someone.Thank you
Please contact Amanda at her e-mail: chinese.starfishthrower@gmail.com She will be very happy to tell you how to volunteer and sponsor a child. Thanks!
Thanks, Tom! You are one of the nicest people I know–really.
I appreciate your expertise and support SOOO much. Back to the proposal writing.
Rosemarie
Good job! You’re very welcome in The Netherlands to see our little Starfish.
She is doing so great!
Jet
Thank-you, Jet. We are hoping to find the funding to get to work on the documentary soon, and part of the plan is to come to The Netherlands! I’m looking forward to that.
Rosemarie
Great segment that shows how much great material is there to continue with. Wonderful subject with real heart, and nicely produced!
Wonderful video of a wonderful woman and the work that she does in China. We are the proud parents of a child adopted from Starfish. There is no way to put into words the gratitude we have for Starfish Foster Home. “Thank you” will never be enough. We thank God for Amanda, her workers and the countless people who spend time and give money caring for babies there. We have a front row seat of the difference people make as we watch our daughter continue to grow into a healthy, happy little girl.
Thanks so much for your comment. I totally agree with you–Amanda is a wonderful woman. It’s so good to hear from you!
Awesome video and can’t wait to see more. Amanda and the Starfish Home is such an inspiration. Is it okay if I share this video (and this link) on Youtube and Facebook (because you did such a beautiful job and to raise awareness of
Starfish)?
Thanks for your kind comments. I am thinking about the YouTube and Facebook options, and would rather than you don’t share the link at this time. When I’m ready for that, I will post there.
Thanks for asking!