"As Long As The Children Are Still Standing At The Door, Waiting On Their Tiptoes, We Will Keep Coming!"

点击链接阅读中文版本：“只要孩子们还站在门口踮着脚等，我们就一直来！”

On May 20, at the entrance of the Nanjing Rainbow Center for Critically Ill Children, a group of children waited early—some sitting in wheelchairs, others holding the hands of their caregivers, standing on their tiptoes to peer into the distance. They were waiting for the "older brothers and sisters" from Ford to arrive. In previous years, they had always waited inside, but this year, the teachers made an exception and allowed them to wait at the front gate.

The Nanjing Rainbow Center for Critically Ill Children is a non-governmental charity organization that provides palliative and hospice care for orphaned and abandoned children suffering from severe illnesses.

Vera Gu, Body Interior Engineer, Volunteer Leader of Rainbow Center

As soon as the bus came to a complete stop, one child rushed to the very front, grabbed Vera as she stepped off, and looked up to ask, "Sister, are you back again today?"

Vera, an interior engineer at Ford Nanjing, has led the Rainbow Group of the Ford Volunteer Association for five years. This year's spring outing was scheduled for May 20. The day before departure, the weather forecast indicated possible rain, but no one suggested rescheduling.

May 20, Overcast

Last year, when the volunteers planned to take the children to Hongshan Forest Zoo, the trip had to be postponed twice due to bad weather. On the third attempt, it was still raining. A teacher from the center called: "The children have been disappointed so many times. They can't even sleep at night, just looking forward to going out to play."

That time, the volunteers discussed it and decided—rain or shine, we go. They didn't want to let the children down again.

It was the same this time. Everyone packed raincoats into their backpacks and set off as planned.

And so, on May 20, 15 Ford volunteers, accompanied by 15 "Rainbow Babies," staff from the Amity Foundation, and caregivers and nurses from the Rainbow Center, stepped into the Sun Yat-sen Botanical Garden.

Inside the Tropical Rainforest Conservatory, the guide knelt down to tell the children that the pointed tips of the leaves help drain water, preventing them from rotting. Hearing this, the children bent over to pick up fallen leaves, turning them over and over, examining them with pure curiosity and focus.

At noon, everyone had KFC together, and the children were absolutely thrilled. Only Lanlan (pseudonym), due to her health condition, could only eat mashed potatoes and the soft egg custard from the egg tarts. Lanlan suffers from a rare disease that requires her entire body to be wrapped in gauze, causing constant and deep pain. After returning to the center, she wrote about this day in her diary:

May 20, Overcast. We went to the Sun Yat-sen Botanical Garden and ate KFC. I'm so happy.

A single line of characters—simple, clean, written carefully, stroke by stroke.

On the lawn, a teacher turned on a speaker. Mingming (pseudonym) stood there, and the moment the music started playing, he began to sing and couldn't stop.

Not far away, a flock of pigeons landed. The children rushed over in a swarm, their laughter scattering in the air. This drew a little girl from a passing family to join them. Together, they chased the pigeons, and for a moment, you couldn't tell which child belonged to whom.

The little girl's mother walked over. Looking at the group of children and then at the volunteers wearing Ford t-shirts, she asked softly, "Are these children... sick?"

"Yes, they are," Vera replied.

"Their parents must have a very hard time. Are you organizing an event for them today?"

Vera shook her head and said gently, "No, they are orphans. We are taking them out to play today."

The mother froze, and tears instantly welled up in her eyes. Looking at the children still chasing pigeons on the lawn, she said, "These children are having so much fun playing with my daughter."

Staying Because They Couldn't Bear to Leave

The children at the Rainbow Center suffer from various severe illnesses or disabilities—congenital heart disease, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, rare skin diseases... every single condition is a heavy burden.

Vera admitted that initially, she was afraid to join this group, fearing she would cry. Later, a colleague who was too busy with work asked her to help share the load, which was when she stepped into the Rainbow Center for the first time. Before she set off, her colleague gently advised her:

"The children there are very bright and kind. I hope our volunteers can accompany them just like they would normal children."

She remembered these words for a long time. After visiting the Rainbow Center, she realized that the children indeed were lively, curious, full of smiles, and loved to hold your hand and ask all sorts of questions. Vera said that after spending some time there, she truly began to understand:

"Even though their lives may vary in length, it doesn't mean their lives cannot be wonderful."

Currently, there are four core members in the Rainbow Group. Every activity is pieced together entirely using their spare time. Before each event, they coordinate plans with the Rainbow Center, confirm lists, recruit volunteers, and conduct quick pre-departure training—reminding volunteers to wear masks, avoid wearing perfume, clarify when and where to gather, and explain how to pair up with the children, hold their hands, and walk together.

Vera mentioned that every time the registration for an activity opens, the number of applicants always far exceeds the available spots—by a wide margin.

Twelve Years, Unbroken

The bond between Ford and the Nanjing Rainbow Center for Critically Ill Children began in 2014 and continues to this day, making this the twelfth year.

Before the pandemic, Ford volunteers visited regularly, teaching English classes and taking the children on spring outings to Xuanwu Lake. Every visit felt like a holiday to the kids.

When the pandemic hit, visits were suspended, and the Rainbow Center faced severe difficulties. Ford employees initiated a crowdfunding campaign, raising over CNY 300,000 to help the center get through the hard times. Some volunteers even hand-sewed cloth dolls to deliver to the gate, sending them inside along with drawings made by their own children, just to let the kids inside know that people in the outside world still cared deeply for them.

After the pandemic, the ways of companionship became even more diverse. There were Rainbow Birthday Parties, autumn outings to Hongshan Forest Zoo, spring trips to Yunshuijian... In October 2024, the volunteers organized a charity bazaar at a shopping mall, donating all the proceeds to the center.

Earlier that year, marking the 10th anniversary of the Rainbow Center's founding, the center solemnly presented a trophy to the volunteers of Ford Nanjing during the celebration, thanking Ford for ten years of unwavering companionship.

Last Children's Day, 88 colleagues participated in a donation drive, contributing 185 items with a total value of over 17,000 yuan.

Love Grows in More Places Than One

For twelve years, this initiative has never stopped. The trophy presented by the Rainbow Center was brought back to the office, serving as a reminder to everyone: We have been here, and we will come back.

Vera mentioned that for this year's autumn outing, she wants to take the children to an amusement park. Ford's journey of public welfare will not stop here.

"As long as the children are still standing at the door, waiting on their tiptoes, we will keep coming."