KaiNa
Age: 2 years

When KaiNa was born, this little girl arrived too early, she had a hematoma, a cleft lip and palate and an extra finger on her left hand. She was malnourished and suffered from hypothermia, as she had been abandoned in the dead of winter. This fragile little girl was extremely weak and her arms and legs were stiff. The caregivers who took her in at China Care immediately began to warm her up and feed her. Due to her cleft lip and palate, she had tremendous difficulty feeding and would cry whenever she ate.

KaiNa’s hematoma went away on its own and she gained a bit of weight, but she continued to have trouble eating and often did not keep her food down. She had the surgery to repair her cleft lip in June 2009.
 
While she has gradually gotten stronger, she remains small for her age. She loves to lie on her back and roll around – for a while it was her only mode of travel! She is also a quick learner. In just one day, she understood how to play peek-a-boo and would cover her eyes and play anytime she caught someone’s eye.

KaiNa is usually a very friendly baby, but sometimes she can get quite agitated. When she is unhappy or uncomfortable, she throws a fit, becoming red in the face and perspiring profusely. She loves cuddling though, and listening to stories. She is quite adorable too, as she likes to grab a towel on the ground and move it until she finds the most appropriate place and then sleeps on it like a pillow!

KaiNa is still uncomfortable when she eats and cries whenever she drinks milk. She needs a special bottle with a spoon attached. However, once her lip has completely healed, KaiNa will have an operation to repair her cleft palate, which will hopefully make it easier and more comfortable for her to eat.