A New Grandpa

Someone wise once said that "a grandfather is someone with silver in his hair and gold in his heart".  If you take a look on our website, listed with the foreign staff are two such men, 'honorary grandpas' to the children here at New Day.

Ken Marshall is a recent addition (although his connection to New Day dates back to 2011), and we wanted to take the opportunity to tell his part of two Amazing Stories.

In Marshall's Amazing Story, he was the 'someone' who stepped forward with money that made life-saving surgery possible.  Marshall made a wonderful, miraculous recovery from the surgery, and was able to grow strong in the care of New Day South.  Last year, he joined his Forever Family.

Just as little Marshall was given his honorary grandfather's name, Maya was also given a 'family name'.  She was named after the beloved grand-daughter, also born in China with a cleft lip and palate, in whose honor the gift was given.  As Maya's Amazing Story tells, Mr Marshall's wish was to change a life, but he ended up saving one.  Maya came to New Day in order to have her cleft lip and palate surgery in Beijing, but just months after her arrival here, her nannies noticed a growth in her abdomen.  She was diagnosed as having a Wilms' Tumor, a fast-growing cancer that was caught just in time, and she was able to have the surgery and chemotherapy that she needed.

Maya was declared cancer-free in May last year, and adopted at the start of this year.  Both Maya's family and Marshall's will be forever thankful for the role that a generous grandfather played in their lives, and his story will always be told.  We are so glad to have Ken Marshall as part of the New Day family!