Friends and ‘family’ of American expat Keith Wyse reflect on his impact on their lives in Beijing

Friends and ‘family’ of American expat Keith Wyse reflect on his impact on their lives in Beijing

2017-02-21

Wenwen remembers the moment she heard about her "dad" Keith Wyse's sudden death at the still youthful age of 58.

It was a few days before Chinese New Year. It was smoggy outside, and she was sitting in her wheelchair with other "family members" at their home in Langfang, Hebei Province. The group was talking with their "mom" Cheryl Wyse in the US over a WeChat video call when she dropped the news.

"Cheryl mom told us that Keith dad just passed away," she said. "Everybody burst into tears."

Wenwen, 29, lives at the Agape Family Life House (AFLH), a foster home founded by American couple Keith and Cheryl Wyse in 2002. Devoted to caring for orphans with brittle bone disease, a medical condition which leads to a frail demeanor and fragile bones, AFLH is a charity organization that provides children with this condition or "children of glass," as they are known in Chinese, with medical assistance and education, and helps them get adopted.

Self-sacrificing loveKeith worked as a truck driver in Ohio where he was known as a tireless man who often worked overtime.

It was this same kind of drive that he brought to the AFLH. Agape is the Anglicized version of an ancient Greek term which roughly translates into the highest form of love - charity, and Keith and his wife epitomized this sentiment; they sacrificed to help those in need.

The story between the Wyse couple and Chinese orphans dates back to the 1990s.

The parents of two biological sons, the couple adopted four girls from China, and two of their adopted daughters, twin girls, have brittle bone disease.

When they adopted the Chinese girls, the couple realized they had the bone disease and immediately started learning all they could about the condition. Afterward, they began to think about ways to help other Chinese youth with the condition.

"Keith always wanted to come to China," recalled Cheryl.

"In the 2001 trip to China, I saw the need for people to help children with disabilities. After that trip, we went back home and started selling everything, including our cars, and moved to China one year later."

They settled down in Langfang, founded the AFLH, and started working with orphanages, hospitals and other charity organizations in China.

Wenwen learned about AFLH in 2011. She grew up in an orphanage in Shaanxi Province and is unable to stand or walk due to the lack of kneecaps in her legs. Someone recommended the home to her as a place where she could seek medical assistance.

Wenwen clearly remembers the first time she met Keith. He told her she could call him Keith dad.

"It was the first time I uttered the words dad and mom in my whole life," she recalled.

"I was so touched that warmth overwhelmed my heart."

Keith built a home for Wenwen and other orphaned youngsters with disabilities in Langfang. He was a hardworking, handy and capable man and would often cook for the children when he had time.

Sometimes he was strict if he found them slacking off during work hours, said Wenwen. They all remember him with affection.

He also built a therapy swimming pool near their house in the Langfang compound, working alongside the construction workers he hired. He also set up the Bread of Life Bakery and renovated it two years ago.

"Keith loved living in China," said Cheryl.

"He liked working alongside the men on the construction site, getting to know them and just working together. That was how he learned the Chinese language."

Keith also enjoyed working at the bakery, she said.

"He knew he could reach a broader spectrum of people, not only Chinese and Americans but also Austrians and Germans who love his bratwurst," said Cheryl. "The bakery would make the bread to go with it."

Wenwen works in the bakery. She was trained and is now quite skilled in making different types of baked products, including bread, granola, pecan pie, chocolate chip cookies, carrot cake, and muffins. The bakery, despite its location 40 kilometers away from Beijing, gets regular orders from organizations or international schools in Beijing.

Every Tuesday and Friday, Danny Mun, a volunteer at AFLH and the bakery, drives a van to the capital to deliver all their products.

Mun became a volunteer of the foster home in 2011. His job includes helping the family with the daily upkeep and management of the home and working as a mentor and business consultant at the bakery.

"I came to Agape mostly because a friend of mine said I needed to come. He told me how the house needed a teacher at the foster home, and how they needed somebody who is handy that can help with the maintenance," said Mun.

"So after a lot of thought and prayers, I realized this is where I needed to be."

The fondest memory Danny has of Keith is his faith and willingness to offer help.

"They are not doctors and have no medical background. All they do is to love these kids and trust that God will take care of them," he said.

Mun said Keith was very caring and was always attentive to people in need.

"Whenever Keith drove me around Langfang, he would always notice all these little things about people we see on the road. He would say, 'Oh, I bet you that person's leg may be broken and need treatment,'" Mun said.

"While everybody else is looking forward, he is looking at everything else and noticing all the different things that he could do to help. It really helped shape the way I am here."

Gone but not forgottenHadassa Wang, the house manager who is in charge of AFLH's daily affairs, said the bakery supplements the cost of maintaining the foster home. Other funds to finance AFLH come from the sale of paintings created by the orphans and donations from the public.

Apart from Wenwen, three other children and adults live at AFLH. Three well-trained ayi are employed to take care of them. AFLH has its own painting room, classroom, and a piano for the children to learn to music.

More than 13 children have found adoptive families with the help of AFLH since 2013.

Wang said they will continue in Keith's footsteps to help more Chinese orphans with disabilities.

"The older orphans can learn about life skills at AFLH, which can empower them to live independently in the future," said Wang.

"We also hope to provide more medical assistance to more children suffering from brittle bone disease based on our experience and cooperation with hospitals. The treatment and education at AFLH help change the personalities of the orphans and can help them find adoptive families."

Mun agrees. "We will continue to keep this home a home," he said.

Cheryl now lives with her six adopted girls in Ohio, and one of them is going to college in Nevada.

"I hope to come back to China sometime this year to see all the children and check on the bakery. We will continue to run everything just as we always have," she said.

Global Times