I’ve been working at the China Care Home for almost two weeks now and each day brings new excitement to my life. I work in the room with older children, who refer to me as “gege,” which means older brother in Mandarin.

I’ve made a special connection with a ten- year-old boy, YunFei. After meeting YunFei, I soon learned from his mumbling and extensive use of gestures and body language that he is deaf and mute. Since that first day, we have spent countless hours playing hide and seek, makeshift games of basketball, drawing, and many other fun activities. I can honestly say my legs have grown sore from giving him countless piggyback rides around the room. His lack of speech and hearing does not in any way impede his ability to have fun or communicate with others and I always look forward to his eager smile as I walk into the room.

Working in the China Care Home, and getting to know YunFei, has taught me that children are essentially the same around the world. All children love to laugh, have fun, and be cared for. At the China Care Home the smiles on the children’s faces show that each child is being loved and cared for. And it is amazing and incredibly rewarding that I got to be a part of that.

Lane Whitman
The Lawrenceville School