Duchang Orphanage

The first family I've heard of adopting from this orphanage adopted in August 1999.  Probably this is a smaller orphanage that previously had not been doing international adoption or does them infrequently.  On the map Duchang is about 70 km north of Nanchang but on the other side of Poyang Lake.


From the father adopting in August 1999:  "Five babies in our travel group were adopted from Duchang and three of those were quite sick.  Our daughter had either bronchitis or pneumonia, depending upon which clinic you believe, and one of the other children had been in hospital with severe diarrhea until she was delivered to her new parents.  This may have been a result of the weather.  While at the pediatric hospital in Nanchang with our daughter the doctor told us that the hospital was full because of the recent heat wave  (+40 C), luckily we missed most of it.  Many children had stopped eating and drinking, then became dehydrated and susceptible to all sorts of diseases.  Our daughter's referral picture and her passport picture show a very healthy baby who weighed (according to her medical report) over 7 kg. at nine months of age.  This was more than she weighed when we received her so being sick and under weight (her weight at the medical exam in Beijing seven days after we received her was 6.6 kg. at the age of 13 months) was not her normal condition.  We didn't get to see the orphanage, nor did we get any information about the orphanage or about the children.  We sent a camera but didn't get it back.  All my questions were answered in general terms (eg, when and where was she found?) or I was told that there were so many children the director couldn't remember all the details.  Hopefully as they get more experience in international adoptions they will get better at supplying information to the adoptive parents.  Our daughter is adapting fine to our family.  Other than being on medication (low iron, a lingering cough and bacteria in the stool) and still being very under weight, you would never know that she had been so sick."  (KB)

And from a mother adopting in November 1999:  "DuChang just recently begun international adoptions when we and one other family travelled in November 1999 to adopt from there.  Our trip in China only took five days, two and a half in Nanchang and two and a half days in Guangzhou.  The other couple's girl was 18 months old, was walking, eating table food and in perfect health.  She was slightly smaller in size than her parents expected but she was in great shape over all.  My daughter was four days shy of her first birthday and even though she was also healthy she was only 14 pounds and was slightly dehydrated.  She was more like a baby than a toddler, she could not hold her head or sit up.  The pediatrician here in the states found her to be at the physical level of a six month old so she recommended physical therapy to strengthen her leg muscles and teach her how to crawl.   Another thing she found was intestinal parasites which the doctor thought she probably got from the water.  The pediatrician said that she was malnourished due to the fact that she was only fed Congee (that soupy rice that is so much of a staple in China).  Mentally she has always been very smart and a quick learner.  She has a very sweet disposition and is always smiling and in a good mood.  It's been 3 months since the trip and she has made great progress, she now weights 20 pounds, sits and stands by herself, and walks with assistance.  She acquired two new teeth, has a very good appetite and eats most everything, except Congee, that is!   Her pediatrician expects that by the time she is 18 months she will be at the same physical level of other girls her age. Oh yes, I almost forgot to tell you that she is speaking now, and she lets the world know!  (from Maria Bengochea)

Isabella Victoria

Born 11/4/98

Adopted 11/1/99

How You Can Help the Children Still in the Jiangxi Province Orphanages!!

Please e-mail me at webmaster@gurrad.com if you have any additional information or if your child is from here and you would like to post a picture or other information here.