Every year when spring rolls around, ConocoPhillips China (COPC) employees deliver a message of hope to a special audience. On April 11, the COPC leadership team and a group of company volunteers paid a visit to the Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area International Cardiovascular Hospital (TICH). The team toured medical facilities, visited young patients, and got an update from hospital representatives on two community projects the company supports: Heart for Heart and Creating Hope for Hearts.

COPC President Bill Arnold, accompanied by wife Kim Arnold and leadership team members, participated in a workshop hosted by TICH Director Xiaocheng Liu and Deputy Director Zhigang Liu. Representatives from the Hospital of Sick Children, Toronto (SickKids) also participated in the event.

The day’s most anticipated event was spending time with children that COPC supports through the Heart for Heart program. The team brought toys and played games with the children, bringing them joy and companionship as they went through the arduous treatment process.

“The smiles on their faces brightened my day. Knowing we are having a positive impact on their lives is very touching,” said Arnold.

“We are so grateful for COPC’s support and companionship during these years,” said Xiaocheng Liu. “As of now, 491 children with congenital heart disease and their poverty-stricken families across the country have received financial support for surgical treatment from COPC. Our efforts are worthwhile as long as these children can regain their health and run freely with other children.”

“As the company’s CSR (corporate social responsibility) ambassador focusing on health, I am honored to take part in this activity,” said Accounting Manager Ann Zhang. “COPC attaches great importance to youth development, both in physical health and positive values toward life. We firmly believe that every child matters, not merely for a single family but for humankind’s future.”

The COPC team was given a comprehensive tour of the facilities, including the operating room and intensive care unit to learn about TICH’s advanced medical equipment and management. An exchange workshop between TICH, COPC and Sick Kids was designed to enhance mutual understanding and strengthen the partnership. With COPC’s financial support, a team of medical professionals from TICH will visit Sick Kids in Toronto during the second half of 2019 for training to improve the hospital’s treatment capacity.

Over the years, COPC has helped to address immediate, unmet medical needs for sick children in China. Through the Heart for Heart project, the company funds heart surgeries for children from low-income families who suffer from congenital diseases. To build long-term capacity, COPC worked with Children’s HeartLink and hospitals in China to develop the Creating Hope for Hearts project, which funds and supports overseas training for medical professionals from different provinces. The Creating Hope for Hearts project has partnered with West China Hospital, TICH and Qingdao Women and Children’s Hospital. Since 2013, the project has funded medical training of more than 300 medical professionals in support of treatment for as many as 4,900 sick children.

The hospital visit left a lasting impression on both the COPC employees and the children who are sure to hold that memory dear to their hearts. It is a great example of COPC giving back to the communities in which it operates, and, in this case, the giving is mutual.