'Momma Chang' provides free home to families with sick kids in Xi'an

Safe harbor

Most of the children and families that stay at Xinyu Home come from areas far from Xi'an, traveling to the city for treatment that can take long.

The experience of running the home has been an emotional one for Chang, because although her endeavor is a noble pursuit, there are inevitable losses along the way.

However, her warm interactions with the children and their parents have kept her heart warm and her resolve strong.

"Everyone here relies on and loves each other," she said.

Dealing with loss is never easy.

In early March, a father who had once stayed at Xinyu Home shared in the home's WeChat group that his 2-year-old child "had become an angel", meaning that she had passed away, and expressed his gratitude for everyone's care.

Chang had no idea how to respond at that time, noting that no one else in the group had replied either.

After a while, she responded to the father with three hugging emojis. Following her lead, the rest of the group unanimously replied with hugging emojis as well.

"It's not that everyone was indifferent to the father's message, but rather that we initially didn't know how to offer comfort," she said.

"When everyone replied with hugs at almost the same time, it meant that we all saw his message, and that he was not alone," she said. "We provide mutual spiritual comfort."

A mother surnamed Li from Yan'an, Shaanxi, and her 5-year-old son have been living at Xinyu Home since 2022.