Defeating the Monster

The Chens cherished every moment they had with Mingrui because they were told he might not make it past his 18th birthday. “He had a hole in his heart. And his arteries were narrow,” his father reports. “Doctors said as he got older, the hole would get bigger, and his heart could fail.”

His mother shares, “Mingrui wouldn’t eat much and stopped growing. He had a weak immune system, so he always caught colds. He gasped for breath and sweat beads as big as soybeans.”

“When he was sick, he’d be at the hospital for at least two weeks,” Mr. Chen adds.  “Doctors didn’t want to over-treat him because of his heart. If I could take his heart disease, I would.”
 
Meanwhile, Mingrui just wanted friends. He says, “I wanted to run and play with other kids, but when I tried, my heart ached. It was like a monster biting me.”
 
Mrs. Chen recalls, “I remember him at the school bus crying, 'I want to go to school!’ But the school wouldn’t accept children with heart problems. It broke my heart.”
 
So, Mingrui stayed home, playing for hours with his favorite action figure. He shares, “My little Superhero toy was my only friend. I cried and told him my heart ached and that I wish he were real because then maybe he could help and heal me.”
 
Twice, he fell into a coma. “His whole body twitched,” Mrs. Chen recalls. “Then, his heart stopped. It scared me to death. I was afraid he was going to die right then. When he came-to, he covered his chest and said, 'Mom, I feel pain here.' I hugged him and said, 'We will get you surgery.’ But really, we couldn’t afford it. If you don't have money upfront, you can't have surgery!”
 
Then a doctor told the Chens about Operation Blessing. “Operation Blessing was willing to help pay for my son's surgical expenses,” Mrs. Chen explains. "So now he’s very healthy! He’s strong and can run and jump and go to school.”
 
Mr. Chen adds, “I’m very thankful for the second chance on life the kindhearted people at Operation Blessing gave my son. You also told us the story of Jesus. Now, we know Jesus is the true God.  He helped Mingrui get surgery.”

“Operation Blessing defeated the monster and cured my heart disease,” concludes Mingrui. “I think you’re the true Superhero.”