Featured Essay: Caroline Jenks, GLA Alum – China, Helping Handicapped Children

During the summer of 2011, my interest in working with mentally and
physically handicapped children led me to book a trip to China with an
organization called Global Leadership Adventures. As I prepared for my
trip, I knew I would meet incredible people, but I never expected to meet
Claire. She was an 11-year-old girl living in an orphanage called The New
Day Foundation in rural Beijing. Claire had suffered from heart failure, a
severe lung infection and multiple surgeries that almost killed her.
Seeing her made me think about the things we take for granted everyday;
like clean drinking water, computers and proper health care. Interacting
with Claire and the rest of the children with mental and physical
disabilities in the orphanage brought into focus how all of these kinds of
children, no matter where they are from, require the same attention from
dedicated caregivers to have successful lives.