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Lou Xiaoying, right, lies in the hospital with one of her daughters, center. Lou, now 88 and suffering from kidney failure, found and raised more than 30 abandoned babies from the streets of Jinhua, in eastern Zhejiang province, China, where she made a living recycling rubbish.
BEIJING – “What?! No, she is alive in the hospital,” exclaimed Zhang Jingjing through the phone lines.
Zhang was responding to concern on Weibo, China’s popular Twitter-like service, claiming that Lou Xiaoying, her adoptive mother, had died.
The worry was understandable, for Lou, 88, has been hailed a hero in China for reportedly saving more than 30 abandoned babies from trash cans and dumps over the past four decades.
Lou is suffering from kidney disease in the hospital, but, according to her daughter, she's still alive.
"My mother has gotten better,” Zhang, 33, reported. “The hospital has spared us much expense. They have also minimized the kinds of medicines that my mom has to use. Money collected from donations has helped us a lot, too."
Helping others
Lou, who was born in 1924 in Fujian Province, collected and recycled garbage to make a living. She and her husband, who died 17 years ago, had two biological children, a daughter and a son.
Over the years of scavenging, Lou found 30 children who had been abandoned, mostly as a result of China’s strict one-child policy. She and her husband adopted three daughters while the remaining children, mostly girls, were passed to other people to start new lives.
According to an article in Britain’s Daily Mail, Lou found her first abandoned child, a girl, when she was out collecting garbage in 1972.
“She was just lying amongst the junk on the street, abandoned. She would have died had we not rescued her and taken her in,” she said, according to the Daily Mail report. “I realized if we had strength enough to collect garbage, how could we not recycle something as important as human lives?”
“These children need love and care. They are all precious human lives,” she added. “I do not understand how people can leave such a vulnerable baby on the streets.”
Zhang told NBC News that "at one point, there were 12 members in the family” living in a deserted temple on the outskirts of the city of Jinhua, about 200 miles south of Shanghai. "It wasn't until 1987 when they were building a railway and wanted to remove our temple, did [authorities] find out about our family,” she added.
The family’s future was complicated by the rigid household registration system designed to control the movement of China’s 1.3 billion people. Known in Chinese as hukou, the central government classifies people as either city dwellers or rural peasants, which determines not only a citizen’s residence but also what kind of social services and schools they are eligible for.
Because they were living “off the grid,” none of Lou’s adopted children had a hukou. But Zhang said that people in the area soon heard about the family and help came along.
"There were some communal donations which helped two of us adopted ones go to school. But my oldest adopted sister, who is now 40, has never gone to school,” said Zhang.
Even in old age, Lou kept going out to collect trash several times a day. In 2007, Lou discovered a boy, Zhang Qilin, in a dumpster. She adopted the boy, who is now 7, as her grandson; his adoptive father is Lou’s biological son.
The youngster encountered the same problem of not having a hukou. But after a series of reports about Lou in the local Jinhua Daily, followed by other reports in the Chinese and international press, Zhang was granted permission to attend a public school called Jindong District Experimental School in Jinhua. In addition, his hukou registration process is now under way.
‘Grandma Lou deserves her dreams to be fulfilled’
Fang Qing, the principal of the public school, spoke with NBC News about Lou’s youngest adoptee.
“I take for granted that every child in China has a right to education, no matter what his background is like,” Fang said, adding that the school would keep a special eye on Zhang Qilin.
“Grandma Lou deserves her dreams to be fulfilled. Good people should be rewarded with good,” Fang said.
Many netizens have chimed in on Weibo about Lou’s heroism.
“What would the world be like if only we have a few more people like Grandma Lou. I respect you, Grandma,” wrote one user.
Lou’s concern for others lives on in her daughter, Zhang, who agreed to be interviewed as long as no foreign donation appeal would be made through NBC.
“We are not in a very positive position financially,” she said, “but neither do we lack money now for my mother’s medical treatments. … We are very grateful, but we are doing fine now.”
Asked if she has ever thought about finding her biological parents, Zhang answered “No” resolutely. “She has always been my mother.”
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Leave a Comment:
Oh and yes! this woman is hero...
Alot of comments about how disgusting China is.. US is also a "baby killer" Country.. Read the news lately?? This story isn't about the abandonment as much as it's about the heroism of a woman who wanted to stop a poor defenseless baby in China from suffering and death. She should be remembered and praised for that. These babies didn't have a chance and would all be dead had it not been for her unselfishness.
Just imagine how many aren't found.
Sure, she's a hero, but who wouldn't rescue a baby from the trash? It's nice to read that she raised these kids or found homes for them, but this implies that she's the only person in China who would stop and investigate the crying of a baby in the garbage. Are we to believe that nobody else in that situation would have saved the babies? Would they all have just dashed them against a rock and continued on their way? I think this article should focus more on why people threw their babies away in the first place, and what action the Chinese government should take to remedy the situation.
Naughty Mossy Republicans have abortions too...they just call it a DNC, The only woman i have known to have an abortion was staunch Republican and Pro-Life.
P
the GOP should send her flowers...or maybe a plant...
Wow, this story actually got me choked up. I am preparing to have an in-vitro procedure because I can't naturally conceive and some people can but they choose to throw away the child for whatever reason. These children are incredibly lucky that she found them. I hope someone takes her place but my dream is that there will never be "throw-away" children anywhere in the world.
She is an angel on earth and there are many children alive today thanks to her. God bless her and when her time does come she will certainly have a special place in heaven.
Mark 423819"Thank God there is someone who thinks like me!!!!!! AMEN!!!!!! Romney was a Richard Gere in Pretty Woman...sent jobs oversea, laid off union workers...Took away the Heart and Soul of the American Dream...This man is dispicable..I dont understand why the American people want a wealthy Business Man in the White House.....Americans need to Educate themselves!!! As for DEB-474227..I just cannot understand the Stupidity in your comments...I think you need to educate yourself or take a class (ECO101) at the local junior college to understand the economy. Because you have NO clue. Americans dont know how well they have it..(FREEDOM) until one day it will be taken away...The only good thing in China is Lou Xiaoying and her remarkable dedication...As for Mark thanks for the good read...As for the morons insulting Obama for the Nobel Peace Prize he well deserved it. I can go on and on about the BS that happens in other countries but our country is just as bad...p/s China owns us anyways!!!!!! We continue to borrow $$$$$ this is what happens.....450 million on the Iraq WAR...what a joke!!!!!
Another heart felt story. Naughty Mossy' I agree with u on everything except limits on family size. All of this should be taught in middle school. Being responseable for one's actions aren't taught much in the family unit anymore. It has nothing to due with the people in DC. It has everything to do with what is taught in the family. I'm over 60yrs old so I remember the old way of raising children. My daughter is 33yrs old and served in the Air Force for 6yrs and served this country well. When she was stationed in England a man wanted to live with her. She told him she wasn't allowed. He wanted to know why and her relpy was my parent's don't allow it. We taught her to respect herself and she carried that and many more teachings with her while she traveled around the world. In school she was very popular, cheerleader, sports medicine, home coming queen. We taught her not to bring children into this world without being married for the child's sake and once she did she is a very good Mom. No one is perfect but we sure can try to do what is best for ourself's and the rest of the world.
This is a prime example of an Angelic soul. God bless her.
God Bless Her
Enough of the "baby killer" America. Shame on you. God was not overly concerned about fetuses. If He were he would have never given the female one hundred thousand eggs and sperm never ending. And, if any of you know Genesis, you know when God determined when Adam became a living soul. Genesis 2-7.
And, if the conservatives what personhood, why do they not have more children. Ryan only has what 4? Romney has only 5. How many does Michele B. have. What about Palin, 4 or 5. Why didn't they have more children over the years.
What does personhood do for the insurance companies if the Affordable Health Care is overturned. Every person born will be subjected to pre-existing conditions. Like Down, Heart problems, Lung problems.
Fetuses are not babies. Babies are those in this world without enough food, shelter, shelter, heat. The damn TP/Republicans forget about them once they have taken their living soul breathe. Time to leave women alone.
You do know the only reason behind this thing against abortions. House of Representatives are afraid that there will not be enough children in the future to fight their wars so they can continue to earn billions of dollars.
And, besides this article was about a wonderful woman and this was turned into a political mess.
Bless you, Lou. And, thank you for caring about the living children of China.
No, ayatollah, my greatest achievement was raising my four grandchildren after their parents were killed in a car accident. Ages 2 months, 1yr4mos, and 3 year old twins. I was 53 at the time. I'm now 73, and they are well rounded. The three girls community college behind and all making fairly good money now.
My grandson age 20 is a work in progress. lol. They have made me so proud, I wish I was 53 again and they were their age now so I could stay around and watch their children. But, I have had a wonderful life and wonderful people surrounding my life.
I believe in the rights of everyone. The war on women is now my passion. I think all the good old conservatives should have to live in a woman's shoe.
So ayatollah what is your greatest achievement?
You go girlfriend!!
I was younger in my 30s when we adopted and later found out we were raising children with special needs. You do what you gotta do.
Grandma Lou is the heart of the world.
Will all you people stop using this article to espouse your political beliefs. Politics did not inspire Grandma Lou. She did what she did out of the kindness of her heart. Politics is no substitute for her exemplary behavior. The heart is bigger than politics.
To 4everphillyfan You said: "This woman is truly doing the work of God and it doesn't matter what religion she is. This a true Christian, one who follows the ways of Jesus Christ." A true Christian? You pollute the great deed done by this woman who is undoubtedly NOT A CHRISTIAN. I say undoubtedly not a Christian because given her location it is near impossible that she has ever been exposed to Christianity and even less probable that she would have become Christian. Be she Buddhist, Muslim, Jew, Mormon or Atheist to assign her great deeds to YOUR religion is deplorable. Your attitude demonstrates the ignorance held by too many Christians that only people sharing your religious believes are capable of holding good moral principles and preforming good deeds. I would say that it is time for you to set aside your ignorant attitude but I'm sure that you doing that is impossible. As stupid is stupid does! For those you will say that I am calling for tolerance but being intolerant while doing that. That is untrue; I am tolerant of Christianity but intolerant of the closed minded attitude of of many religious people that only us are right and everyone else is wrong.
Irrespective of what religion she belongs to, she's doing God's work. Bless her and may she recover from her illness.
I don't know why people here are attacking the Chinese people here. Obviously, here's a Chinese woman who's a humanitarian hero, even in the face of incredible poverty and overwhelming odds (yes, even in China, a trash-picker is at the bottom of the socioeconomic pecking order). Let's be clear, China, because of the One Child policy and their enormous population, might have more of a baby abandonment problem than we do, but have you never heard the expression "dumpster baby"? Have you never heard or seen a news story about babies being found in the trash in our cities? Do we not have a quarter of a million children entering state care - whether in the foster system, group homes or orphanages - EACH YEAR? You're mad if you think we do not abandon children in the US, and most aren't fortunate enough to meet the likes of Grandma Lou.
We also have people who pick up trash for a living. Many, many people. Many of them are senior citizens. Just the other day, on the beach, I saw a senior woman (she was white, before the more racially pre-occupied of you ask), on a bike, with enormous bags full of cans many times the size of her and her bike. A fifth of the US population is effectively destitute, by any objective measure. 36% of the poor are children. There were a million homeless Americans in 2007. The recession added another 1.5 million. And China is much poorer than the US is, by any objective, per capita or household, measure.
The only thing that is a bit odd here, which is worth pointing out, is the hukou registration system in China. It should not be difficult for children to be registered, even if they live with an "off-the-grid" adoptive parent like Grandma Lou. Basically, this is red tape causing lots of human suffering, all over China, and hopefully something that they do something about soon.
Does the Mitt Romney's Mormon LDS Church have a open standing policy to adopt unwanted children?
Being pro-life and holding others accountable for those beliefs would make a great more sense if those holding those beliefs were shown to accept these children, to raise, nurture and educate accepted this responsibility?
Holding pro-life views needs to include all of life, not just someone elses problem, and be pro-life for a whole life?
To be fair to the LDS, they do adopt unwanted children. I'm not saying that Romney is such a charitable Mormon, just that his faith does, as far as I can tell, preach charity.
You make a very good point here, Rich MJones. {REPLIES to Comments don't always seem to be placed right below the right posts!!} I find too often those espousing pro-life aren't interested in adopting children who are unwanted here in the US. I have questioned many such people on their views about adoption in the terms of their pro-life "policies/beliefs" and most canot reconcile them or stammer when they try to answer my questions. I'm an adoptive parent for many reasons, among them is the belief that my husband and I hold that it is our responsibility as stable adults to take care of children who weren't wanted by others. This came from our activitism background in the 60s and other beliefs we hold.
Great story, if you are able to walk away from a abandonded baby, you have already abandoned yourself..
Cutting back on military spending might allow for more free education. Or perhaps that is China's plan; military service is the only way out of poverty. No one country is going to attack China, unless China asks for it. So why the military buildup?
In fact, due to the nature of the government, and the suspicion with which they view people who show up with an unregistered child, many people would walk away; because stopping and picking up the child could put you and your own child in a world of hurt. I'm not saying that makes it okay, but when you live in a totalitarian state, you keep your head down and try not to draw attention to yourself.
This is part of what makes Lou's actions so remarkable. She could have ended up in a great deal of trouble. Despite this, she just kept on collecting those babies and finding them homes.
As for all the nasty remarks about China, I would suggest that you visit there. The people are just like people everywhere. Some are kind. Some are rude. Some are smiling and cheerful. Some are sullen and unfriendly. Mostly, they're just people like people everywhere. The people are just trying to survive. The people are not the government.
The temple they live in is not abandoned. Every day, with her actions, this wonderful lady teaches a sutra.
A beautiful woman
Sounds Like the Old PEPSODENT Commercial! You'll Wonder Where the YELLOW WENT!
This woman is a natural born Saint.
God has a special place waiting for her.