Reflection

My heart has been breaking all week as I read the stories of the death and devastation in China.

Every day brings reports of more horrors, from the hundreds found dead in the rubble of schools or apartment buildings to the individual tragedies, such as those told in today's newspaper by my colleague, Evan Osnos. The ramifications of China's one-child policy have only added to the tragedy as parents and grandparents are left with no one to carry on the family name or to care for them in their old age.

Ting Ting is from a city called Yueyang, in the northern part of Hunan province, far from the epicenter of the earthquake. But Sichuan province is home to many social welfare institutes caring for other babies and children waiting for families. Our friend the Rumor Queen has been collecting information on those children and institutions; so far we've seen no major loss of life there, but information is not yet available on many of the SWIs closest to the epicenter. Some of the institutions have had to evacuate the children and need supplies like formula and diapers; some have lost their water supply or power.

China is a very old, beautiful, proud country that gave our family its greatest gift, and now the people there need our help. Please remember them in your prayers.