“They are my babies,” said Deaton following a long shift at the orphanage just outside Beijing. “It’s our job to recognize beauty and dignity of each and every little one.”
Children who are born with severe illnesses often are rejected and abandoned in China, according to Deaton. Intensive medical care is very expensive in the region, which forces parents to give up their babies. Other times, the sick children are simply left to die because they are seen as useless.
“It’s hard to understand,” Deaton said. “It’s a different culture and different set of beliefs. It’s been that way for many years.”
Deaton, 24, a graduate of Bishop Fenwick High School, knew for years she wanted to serve at a missionary. Even her family knew from when Deaton was young that helping others was a calling.
“Megan lived with us until she was about 16,” said her grandmother Gloria Dent of Middletown. “She’s always been religious and put a lot of time working with others when she was in school. I wasn’t too surprised by the path she took. It’s so far away, but if it’s what makes her happy, then we support her 100 percent.”
At one time, Deaton thought about going to Africa or Haiti to serve others. In 2008, she attended a job fair at her college, the Franciscan University of Steubenville. That’s when she heard the call to go to China through mission work.
“I believe God placed it in my heart do to this,” she said. “I don’t think I would do anything else.”
Making a connection
Every time a new child comes through the doors at the orphanage, Megan Deaton makes an instant connection.
The Middletown native and a handful of other volunteers care for nearly 30 children at a time who would otherwise be left to die because of a lack of medical care or parents who simply don’t want them.
“I get attached to them really easily,” she admitted quietly. “They’re all so beautiful. How could you not love being with them all the time.”
Time is a precious commodity at the orphanage. Each month, about one to three babies die due to their conditions, which can include brain, heart and lung defects.
How can someone so young deal with death so often? Deaton said she relies solely on her faith to get her through the hardest times.
“I believe babies go straight to heaven,” she said. “As much as we want them to be with us, we really want what’s best for them. Many times, they are so sick that it really is a mercy to them that they go.”
Deaton’s grandparents, Donald and Gloria Dent of Middletown, lived with her while she attended Bishop Fenwick High School. They know their granddaughter has built this strength from personal experience.
In October 2007, Deaton’s brother Zachory was killed in a tragic accident.
“She could have chosen another way to go after that,” said Gloria Dent. “She has chosen this path and gives dignity to those poor babies who are dying.”
In China, it is illegal for babies to die outside a hospital, according to Deaton. Whenever a baby dies, it is her and her staff’s job to make sure the child is able to be buried properly, which sometimes means taking extreme measures.
“We take the baby and wrap him tightly in blankets to keep him warm until we get to a hospital,” Deaton said. “Once doctors know there isn’t anything they can do, they can issue a death certificate.”
Megan and some of the staff will then take the child’s remains to a Catholic village in the Shanxi province for a memorial Mass, where they spend time praying and remembering.
“I like to envision them in heaven, on a large playground and then I ask them to pray for me,” she said.
Happier endings
Sometimes, though, there are happier endings for her babies and young children. With enough love and medical care, some of the children are able to thrive and grow. Once they are healthy enough, they can “graduate” to foster care.
Although she has to say goodbye to her little ones far too often and for varying reasons, Deaton said it doesn’t bother her so much anymore.
“We constantly have new children coming to us,” she said. “There isn’t a lot of time to think about it. You just focus on taking care of who is there.”
Even when she is thousands of miles away, Deaton’s little flowers are never far from her mind. When she came home to Middletown in late December, her grandmother could tell Deaton’s mind was elsewhere.
“She thought about them constantly,” Dent said. “She collected baby clothes, wondered how they were doing all the time. Her heart is there. That’s where she needs to be right now.”
There is no timetable for Deaton’s service in China. She completed her contractual obligation last year and has decided to stay for at least another 12 months.
“I’m not sure how long I’ll be here or where I’ll go next,” she said. “I guess I’m here until God tells me where to go.”
Contact this reporter at (513) 696-4542 or mrossiter@coxohio.com.
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