But when the three orphans from the Shanghai Children's Welfare Institute returned to the city last night after an 18-hour flight from Dallas in the U.S. state of Texas, the youngsters no longer had the facial deformities with which they were born.

Their nearly month-long stay in Dallas marked the first time that the institute's wards have gone overseas for plastic surgery that will give them a fresh start in life.

Su, 7, and Lin Chenggeng and Lin Chengzhen, both 2 but not related, are three of the five orphans from the welfare institute who underwent craniofacial surgeries at Medical City Hospital in Dallas.

The other two - Tang Shenyou, 10, who has a form dwarfism, and Xu Shiyang, 9, who was born with a nasal defect - remained in Dallas for post-surgery observation. They are scheduled to return on March 8.

The U.S. charity foundation, Grace Children's Foundation in New York, financed the trip and surgeries. Foundation officials made that decision after visiting the institute in October. Foundation representatives declined to say how much was spent to help the orphans, who in Dallas have become known as the "Shanghai Five."

"We were warmly treated by the volunteer families," said Wu Guoling, head of the delegation that traveled to Dallas. "The three children who returned received adoption offers from local families, who learned of the children's situation through media reports."

"My 'mum' of the family I lived with cried when I left," said Su, a girl.

Lin Chenggeng, a boy, will receive language training at the welfare institute. Su will undergo follow-up treatment here.

"Similar assistance programs are under discussion," said Wang Jiachun, head of the institute.

"We're planning for an online group medical consultation between China and the United States for a child who was born with an organ deformity."

More than 500 orphans are living at the institute. Most have mental or physical problems.

About 30 children undergo government or charity-supported surgeries every year in China, welfare institute officials said.

(EastDay.com 02/26/2001 )