Police ‘Adopt’ Boy, 4, With Heart Defect

Shao-han Deng , a 4-year-old boy who came from China for a series of operations to correct a heart condition at UCLA Children’s Hospital, received an unexpected visit Wednesday.

At 10 a.m., five Los Angeles Police Department officers knocked on the door of the boy’s home in North Hollywood. They may have looked intimidating, but they were there to shower him with gifts.

They also brought more than $500 in cash donations for Shao-han’s parents, mother, Han Dan and father, Yongxin Deng, whose desperate call for help on the Internet has generated a worldwide outpouring of support.

“I had heard about this little boy who had a problem with his heart, so I contacted UCLA to see if our station can do something to brighten up the boy’s day,” said Officer Marjan Mobasser of the Northeast Division in Los Angeles.

After talking with UCLA, Mobasser found out that Shao-han’s heart has only one ventricle instead of two, a condition that creates hypertension in the arteries.

That’s when police officers decided to unofficially “adopt” the family and to start raising funds, Mobasser said.

Officers from the Northeast and Central divisions in Los Angeles raised money and purchased toys, balloons, police memorabilia and other gifts for Shao-han, whose nickname is Shoa-Shoa, which means “laughter” in Mandarin.

Mobasser, Sgt. Joe Gonzales, Officer Vita Vallejo and Officer Paul Williams from the Northeast Division and Officer Steve Saletros from the Central Division visited the boy.

Saletros, who speaks Mandarin, served as a translator.

“They were very appreciative of our gesture,” Williams said.

Mobasser said the boy, who received his first operation in mid-April, is doing fine right now and is scheduled for more testing on Friday.

“Provided that everything goes well, UCLA officials said the next operation will be scheduled for sometime in November,” Mobasser said.