In September 2007, NYC residents Cindy Klaja-McLaughlin and husband Pat McLaughlin were traveling around the world. They planned to stop in Xi’an, China for a six-week volunteer assignment at the Starfish Foster Home for abandoned and sick orphans. It was here that a crying baby girl curled her tiny hand around their outstretched fingers. And it was here that the lives of all three were forever changed.

Baby Norma Xi’an, nicknamed Xi’Xi, (pronounced She-She) was only six weeks old when Cindy and Pat came into her life. Xi’Xi was born with Spina Bifida, a neural tube birth defect that can cause physical and mobility difficulties, as well as learning disabilities. An egg-sized, fluid-filled sac formed at the base of Xi’Xi’s skull, exerting pressure on her brain.

Xi’Xi tugged at the hearts of both Cindy and Pat. “The bond between Xi’Xi and Cindy was sealed on the first day,” Pat wrote on the blog he created to document their trip. “Cindy spends eight-ten hours a day feeding, holding and bathing her. These two have formed a connection that is both obvious and endearing.”

By the time Xi’Xi was three months old, the painful sac on her skull had grown to the size of a grapefruit. Its weight made it difficult for the baby to hold up her head. Surgery was critical, but it was risky. Xi’Xi was constantly nauseous, which presented another challenge. In order to have the surgery, she needed to gain significant weight.

Without hesitation, Cindy and Pat decided to sponsor the surgery. At three months, little Xi’Xi had the operation. The large and painful sac was removed and problems with her skull were corrected.

While Xi’Xi was in surgery, Pat updated his blog. “The following words have been in my head since the day we met Xi’Xi: ‘Fate, Luck, Serendipity, Pre-Destiny, Karma.’ As we watched Xi’Xi go into the operating room, I could not shake the impact of those words on the fact that three lives were just hours away from being changed.”

“Pat and I were scared because the surgery was so risky, but without it we knew Xi’Xi would die,” said Cindy. “When she went in to the operating room, her little face was so sad, but seeing her come out four hours later was just incredible. You could tell that the pain was gone and you could see the hope in her eyes.”

The love that Pat and Cindy felt for Xi’Xi made the decision to adopt a natural step. Throughout the 14-month adoption process, the couple remained committed. “From the moment we met her, there was just this undeniably calm feeling,” said Cindy. “We knew that this baby was our daughter.” And in January of 2009, the 18-month old Xi’Xi finally came home.

An overjoyed Cindy and Pat still knew that the road ahead was going to be long and bumpy. Xi’Xi was underdeveloped, with limited fine motor skills and the inability to walk without the use of a walker. 

In July 2010, Xi’Xi started at the Gramercy preschool in Manhattan and her progress quickly began to soar. Teachers and staff worked with Xi’Xi, now age 3, at physical, speech and occupational therapy. And by August, Cindy and Pat were already noticing a marked improvement in her ability to walk without a walker and in her verbal communication skills.

“We are so grateful to YAI,” said Cindy. “Pat and I didn’t know if Xi’Xi would ever be able to walk on her own. As a parent, it’s hard to describe the sadness that comes from feeling so helpless. But the combination of this very determined little girl and YAI professionals, who understand how to get the best out of children – you put these two forces together and amazing things begin to happen.”

Celebrating such amazing things will be the focus of the day on Saturday, June 4, when Xi’Xi and her family will join YAI Network spokesperson Sherri Shepherd at the 2011 YAI and Broadview Networks Central Park Challenge. Stay tuned for more stories about Xi’Xi’s inspirational journey in the upcoming months and support her, Sherri and the YAI Network by registering today!

“I could write a whole text on the ways that this abandoned child has pushed me both physically and mentally,” Pat wrote on his blog. “I have been to places in my heart that I didn’t know I had, that I had not been to in a while, or to places that I had been avoiding for years. Cindy and I have experienced something magical.”