Hello all of our generous donors!

We have a final update regarding the fundraiser for Jacob’s congenital heart defects. Because of your donations, Jacob received a cardiac MRI and catheterization in China while awaiting the completion of his adoption. These tests helped determine he would not need a stent, as previously thought, because his pulmonary hypertension is not as severe as once feared (which could have caused irreversible damage to his lungs while awaiting surgery and treatment).

The tests confirmed he does need complicated surgical procedure(s) to repair the complex deformities in his heart. The surgeons in China were willing to proceed with surgical treatment in country. However, after consulting with U.S. surgeons and cardiologists (thanks to having the medical records from the tests administered), we determined the procedure being offered in China was likely not the best procedure for Jacob’s condition and would potentially hinder his life expectancy in the long-term rather than enhance it. Due to the complex nature of his medical condition, we made the decision to ask the orphanage and surgeons to allow Jacob to wait until he arrives in the U.S. to undergo surgery with the hope that a more appropriate surgical option will be available here. Therefore, no additional medical treatment was pursued in country. He has since returned to his orphanage and is awaiting his adoption.

This is good news, but it also complicates the situation regarding what we do with the donated funds. We recently received information about how to use some of the funds that were donated for Jacob's medical care:

Shanghai Baby’s Home, the organization that facilitated Jacob’s care in China, generously declined accepting funds for his care acknowledging that there will be extensive expenses pertaining to his adoption and future medical care. In humble gratitude, we are donating some of the funds to Shanghai Baby's Home to cover the costs they incurred while helping Jacob receive the tests in China. Of course, this was the purpose of the fundraiser. The money we donate will be used to help other children like Jacob, which is what that organization was created to do. However, there will still be a portion of the funds raised remaining after we make the donation to Shanghai Baby’s Home.

Jacob still needs very serious open-heart surgery when he arrives in the U.S. and ongoing medical care. Since the funding is handled through our adoption agency, it is not possible for us to apply any excess funds toward his deferred medical care in the U.S. However, it is possible for us to use excess funds from the fundraiser to help cover some of the costs associated with his adoption.  

While we were not expecting to have any excess from the fundraiser after covering Jacob’s China medical expenses, we disclosed on the fundraiser description the possibility that excess funds could be used toward adoption costs. We have been burdened by this matter. We do not want any donors to feel we misled them in our fundraising for Jacob’s medical care in China when applying any unused funds toward our adoption costs. We began the fundraiser with the expectation that the tests would lead to a specific diagnosis, which would result in a specific course of medical treatment in China. Clearly, it did not go according to our expectations, as is the story of our entire adoption journey thus far.

Since many individuals also opted to donate anonymously, we cannot contact all of the people who donated to ask each personally and directly. That being said, we are offering you the choice to have your portion of the funds you donated refunded, if you desire. We are unsure of the process for requesting and receiving refunds since none of the funds came directly to us. They are all handled through Pure Charity and our adoption agency, Great Wall China Adoption in Austin, TX. If you do not desire a refund, thank you, and no course of action needs to be taken. If you do desire a refund, we understand and encourage you to please contact Pure Charity directly:

Help@PureCharity.com

Call or Text +1 (855) 855-9594

210 North Walton Blvd., Suite 26
Bentonville, AR 72712

Again, we sincerely and humbly thank every person who gave generously and sacrificially on behalf of our future son, Jacob. Someday we hope to tell him how so many of you reached out to help him receive the medical care he needed even before he was ours. Thank you!

You can follow our adoption story and receive updates about Jacob's medical care on our blog: www.onfaithandfamily.com.

Blessings,

Anna & Brandon Yelton