Single Chinese Woman 'Be-moms' Orphaned Toddler for Israeli Heart Surgery

By Dave Bender, Hao Fangjia
Quan Shiyi, a volunteer of Beijing, China, is caring for a one-year-and-half-old orphan suffering from a life-threatening congenital heart defect.

Gretel, her English name, is 26 years old and unmarried, and had never looked after a baby, even not changed a diaper. But all that changed in 2009 when she met Qian Baoxin at an orphanage in Beijing, where Gretel volunteered as a translator.

There, she learned the meaning of motherhood. Read the rest.

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Text version.

Single Chinese Woman Becomes Orphan's "Mom" in Israel

"Gretel" (Quan Shiyi), comforts one-and-a-half-year-old Xin Bao at the pediatric ICU at Wolfson Hospital in Holon, Israel, 05/04/2010. Xin Bao is recovering from successful open-heart surgery, via the Save A Child's Heart organization. (Photo: Dave Bender - All Rights Reserved).

Single Chinese Woman Becomes Orphan's "Mom" in Israel

By Dave Bender, Hao Fangjia

Quan Shiyi, a volunteer of Beijing, China, is caring for a one-year-and-half-old orphan suffering from a life-threatening congenital heart defect.

Gretel, her English name, is 26 years old and unmarried, and had never looked after a baby, even not changed a diaper.

But all that changed in 2009 when she met Qian Baoxin at an orphanage in Beijing, where Gretel volunteered as a translator. There, she learned the meaning of motherhood.

One From the Heart: Israeli Docs Save a Chinese Orphan's Life

"Gretel" (Quan Shiyi), the caretaker of one-and-a-half-year-old Xin Bao, comforts him at the pediatric ICU at Wolfson Hospital in Holon, Israel, 05/04/2010. Xin Bao is recovering from successful open-heart surgery, via the Save A Child's Heart organization. (Photo: Dave Bender, All Rights Reserved)

Wow. Really moving experience video interviewing a Chinese young woman and the orphaned infant she's brought to Israel for emergency congenital heart-surgery via "Save a Child's Heart" org, at Wolfson Hospital in Holon.

Gretel, as she calls herself here, is Xin Bao's court-ordered caretaker for the duration of the operation, until they both return to their home city of Beijing, hopefully soon.


"Gretel" (Quan Shiyi), cheers up one-and-a-half-year-old Xin Bao with a "chamsa," good luck charm at the pediatric ICU at Wolfson Hospital in Holon, Israel, 05/04/2010. Xin Bao is recovering from successful open-heart surgery, via the Save A Child's Heart organization. (Photo: Dave Bender, All Rights Reserved)

Also on hand in the ward and at the hospital were Palestinians patients from Gaza, Israeli Arab volunteers, an Ethiopians doc, and kids from Zanzibar and many others.

Will post moving clips, photos and story in coming days at www.davebrianbender.com