Leihao feels like she got the best Christmas present she could ever ask for this year.
Hope.
If she could have one more wish it would be to thank her sponsors for helping make room for her at Angels' Place. Even at the very young age of six, she understands how blessed she is. So many others, just like her, are still waiting, suffering in the grips of extreme poverty.
Leihao's father died in 2014 leaving her mother alone to care for ten children. She remembers the years she suffered; the constant hunger, frequent illness and the relentless fear. And then, just a few months ago a place opened for her at Angels' Place. The day she walked through our doors her life began a new course...away from the hopeless despair she knew toward a life of opportunity where she could grow up healthy, happy, educated and empowered to break free from the cycle of poverty.
Leihao will always feel the loss of her family, but she has gained a new one at the orphanage. She is making friends quickly and most appreciates the love and kindness of her caregivers. She started her first year in school and likes her drawing class the most. Her favorite pastimes include dancing and hanging out with her new family of friends. Her caregivers are happy she is adjusting well despite some language challenges.
Do you want to give the gift of Hope to a child like Leihao this Christmas? There are hundreds on our waiting list and there are many things you can do to help them. Just visit our Ways to Help page to learn more.
To read more Angel of the Week stories, click on "Angel of the Week" under Categories to the right of this page.


"My mother left me behind."
When "Ding" was only 8 years old his father died. For most young mothers in India, this is much more than just losing a beloved husband. Her entire life as she knew it was gone. Though things certainly were not easy for them before her husband's death, they could at least make ends meet and put food on the table. There were all the challenges poverty brings but they were together and they had enough to survive. Then, in just one single day, her husband is gone along with all the resources she needed to support her family. She had no money, no job and food was scarce. Ding's dream for an education was lost. She had to make the hardest choice a mother could make, to send her child away. But she knew it was the only way. She could not care for him or give him the opportunities he deserved. Imagine the moment of having to make this choice.
