Precious Gems

Jeffrey Jarrett and Jasmine in China

A little more than two years ago, Wan Jin Si was a Chinese orphan looking for a home.  Chinese doctors thought she was completely blind. In a country that values male offspring, Wan was not a prized adoption. With such a severe disability, baby Wan lie waiting. Nearly 7,000 miles away in Cleveland, the Jarrett family found Wan, who they named Jasmine. They found the child they were looking for.

"We were essentially looking for a healthy child, but as the paperwork went along, and the time went along, the amount of waiting we had to deal with working with the Chinese adoption agencies got longer and longer - it went from a year and a half to two years to two and a half years," says Jeffrey Jarrett, who works as executive chef at North End in Hudson. "We decided to look at the 'waiting child list', which is kids with disabilities.

"They told us that [Jasmine] was completely blind, and we were fine with that - she was way too cute to pass up on." 

The determination as to who may adopt a Chinese child is often left to chance. Potential adoptive families "bid" on adoptees, and are chosen at random from a list by Chinese adoption officials. "Nobody else had bid on Jasmine," says Jarrett. "We were the first family to bid on her." 

With their hopes across the globe and three sons at home, Jarrett and his wife Tammy traveled to Beijing. "They brought her to our hotel room," says Jarrett. "About five minutes after we got her, we realized that she wasn't completely blind. We were giving her some cereal and she dropped it on the ground, and she could see, roughly, where she dropped it." 

Jarrett holds Jasmine for the first time

It was a bright sign, and the Jarretts took her to the Cleveland Clinic, where they determined that she was still developing, and it was too early to tell how her sight would develop. "She's doing wonderful now, and she's adapted to living with our family as if she's always been here."

The Jarretts decided that they wanted to adopt again, and set about attending myriad classes and seminars, devoting much time to adopting locally. "We thought: Why don't we maybe consider adopting from China again?" says Jarrett. "That's how we found Jewel." 

Yang Cheng Bing (aka Jewel) was born on Valentine's Day 2009 in Fujian Province, China. She was born without eyes and abandoned by her family when she was barely a month old. "We were told that if we chose not to adopt her, that she would be in an orphanage for her entire life," says Jarrett. 

It's an all too familiar scenario in China, as impoverished families unable to care for newborns abandon them in unforgiving ways that are difficult to comprehend. "As we were going through the process of adopting Jewel, we came across a little boy who had hip dysplasia - both hips were dislocated," says Jarrett. "He was found at a day old on railroad tracks.

"We look at things like that, and wonder, first of all, how can anybody do this?" says Jarret, "and more importantly, how can we help?"

The first step was finding Jewel. The second step was beginning the adoption process. Now, the Jarretts are faced with approximately $25,000 in costs to bring Jewel into their home. It's a tall order, and longtime restaurateur Jarrett called on the community of chefs in Northeast Ohio for help. They responded. 

On March 22, from 5:30 to 9 pm at the Cleveland Sight Center, nearly two dozen of the area's finest chefs will prepare dishes for Cleveland Chefs Cooking for Jewel. The event will help raise money for the Jarrett family, and with tickets priced at $25 each, it's accessible to anybody with a heart and an appetite. 

"I really relate to Jeff as a father and as a chef," says chef Brian Doyle of World's Fare Culinary and Danny's Organic Marketplace. "I commend his commitment to parenting on such a huge level to seek out a child who really needs a home. He has, like most chefs, a huge, kind and giving heart."

Longtime friend and Light Bistro chef/owner Matthew Mathlage is also participating in the event. "I've known Jeff and Tammy for about 10 years, and I think what they are doing is admirable – and maybe even saint like," says Mathlage. "Taking on one special needs child is a life changing challenge, and to go through all of that and decide to do it again is just remarkable.

"As a father, what they are doing really touches my heart. I would do anything to help them."

The community support has illustrated to Jarrett the powerful bonds that unite for a greater good in our region. The list of participating chefs is a who's who of the local culinary scene: Matt Baber of Naya Bistro & Lounge, Dante Boccuzzi of Dante, Lanny Chin of Naya Bistro & Lounge, Mark Cleland of North End, Zack Conover of The Leopard, Ellis Cooley of Amp150, private chef William Fugitt, Aaron Guzik of L’Albatros, Heather Haviland of Lucky's Cafe/Vine and Bean, Jeremy Lisy of KJ Greens, Jonathon Sawyer of The Greenhouse Tavern, Stove Monkeys creator Matt Mytro, Mike Nowak of Bar Cento, Stacey Stoudemire of Simply Elegant Catering, Wendy Thompson of A Cookie and a Cupcake, Ky-Wai Wong of Lucky’s Café and Eric Wells of Skye LaRae Culinary Services. "The chefs help means the world to me," says Jarrett.

There will be auction prizes at the event, and Chef's Garden is donating their highly coveted produce to participating chefs for the event and as part of an auction package. 

Tickets are available online at www.clevelandchefscookingforjewel.com.

(l,r) Jasmine at home in Cleveland; Jewel in China