Liu Yan Meng
Liu Yan Meng ("Colorful Dream") comes from a family dedicated to trying to take care of each other, despite the many obstacles they have faced. Yan Meng is an 11-year-old only child of a hardworking but disabled father and a severely ill mother. Her father was born with one dysfunctional leg, and her thin and frail mother, who was diagnosed seven years ago with type two diabetes, requires daily insulin and other medications. Seven years ago, Yan Meng's 75-year-old grandfather had a stroke. When her grandmother, the soul of the family, rushed to pick him up, she had a stroke right then and there and died immediately, but the grandfather survived with his left side completely dysfunctional and unable to work.
Yan Meng's father is completely devoted to his family, so he went to the country to sell his blood to raise money for food and medicine. His cousins went back to their home in Central China to sell their blood and are all dead now from AIDS. Fortunately, the blood bank where Dream's father sold his blood used proper procedures. But he says: "If I had to do it all over again and know I would die, I would still sell my blood. I'm a cripple. I'm not worth much. My child is my only hope. My family is everything to me. I won't hesitate to do whatever I can to keep them alive."
Yan Meng's family owned some land in their village. Developers came to her father and promised him 1000 yuan a month in exchange for the land. After relinquishing the land, the businessmen sent only 80 yuan monthly, not enough to even feed the family of four. However, the illiterate mother and father did not sign a contract, and, therefore, can't even think of taking legal action. They felt they needed to just endure being bullied and cheated. They asked: "What else could we do?" They kept a tiny piece of land, which is now the only thing they have.
Last year, Yan Meng decided she herself needed to support the desperate family. The 10-year-old went to Beijing in response to an advertisement that promised the constantly hungry girl "a lot of food to eat". Rather than fulfillment, however, she found herself involved with corrupt people who entered her in illegal eating competitions. For the crowd's entertainment, she was forced to gorge herself to win these competitions. She had a lot to eat but little else, for seven months on her own in Beijing. Yan Meng was rescued six months ago and now is extremely overweight. She felt she had "no choice", since she believed she was responsible for her family as the only child.
Yan Meng is now in fifth grade and a straight-A student who is especially good in English. Even though she was out of school for a year, she is an excellent student who receives many school awards for her scholarship. Her teacher recommended her to GCI. Yan Meng is deeply appreciative of GCI and the opportunity it is giving her to have a dream that can come true in a healthy and positive way. GCI is now working to qualify the family for disability and to find volunteers to take legal action against the businessmen who cheated the family of their land. With GCI's assistance, the family can hope and dream of a better future for themselves and their child.