A Chinese boy suffering from a congenital heart disease is to go to the United States for free treatment courtesy of Rotary International (RI).
Xing Shaoyang, a three-year-old from north China's Hebei Province, was abandoned by his parents when he was born. He was adopted by the local welfare house, but was greatly in need of medical care.
Accompanied by a nurse, he will be the first child in the province in 2003 to get free treatment in the United States, according to the welfare house.
In August 2002, RI and the Hebei provincial government signed an agreement, which provides free medical treatment to children who suffer from congenital heart diseases in the province.
Under the agreement, RI will offer free food, accommodation and health care to the children, leaving the province only traveling expenses.
The agreement is part of the "Present of Life" plan set up by RI in 1975, which aims to save children with congenital heart diseases worldwide, according to the Hebei Children's Hospital.
Rotary International, founded in 1905 in Chicago in the United States, is one of the largest non-profit service organizations in the world. It has 1.2 million members in over 30,100 clubs in 163 countries. Rotary members initiate community projects that address critical issues such as violence, AIDS, hunger, the environment and health care.
(Xinhua News Agency February 5, 2003)
