Today is Mother's Day in many countries around the world and it's a day we typically get to spoil and celebrate our mums with flowers, greeting cards and maybe even take them out for a nice meal. But not everyone has that "mother figure" in their lives, including many orphans. According to the Ministry of Civil Affairs in China by 2015, there were over 500 thousand orphans in the country. And most abandoned children are born with medical issues and disabilities. But despite being rejected there are many selfless individuals, who are willing to make it their life's work to give these children a chance at life. Like the founder of 'Dew Drops Little Flower', "Lily", Lijing Lu, who has already cared for over 2,000 orphans with these conditions. CGTN's Jenny Cortes Ybañez has the story.

Meet "Lily", a single woman, with no kids of her own, who has been working with orphans for 12 years now. She went from a car coordinator to a children's home director and a medical director for non-profit organisations. And in 2016 Lily set up 'Dew Drops Little Flower' in China.

"LILY" LIJING LU, FOUNDER DEW DROPS LITTLE FLOWER "First it was to me simple, no politics I just worked with children. They smile, they make you feel relaxed, no pressure. And then gradually I wanted to learn more, and want to do more."

Lily describes her life as "meaningful and challenging" because of the 2,247 children she has cared for. But the memory of the painful battle of one little abandoned boy, who had short bowel syndrome, heart defects and many other conditions, still sticks out in her mind.

"LILY" LIJING LU, FOUNDER DEW DROPS LITTLE FLOWER "On one side it seemed impossible for him. There were too many things going on. But on the other side, he had the most cute, clear eyes, just looking at you. It seemed like 'Help me!' So that was the very struggling part."

But Lily never gave up on the now 3-year-old boy called "Cam". Today he lives a healthy life with his adopted parents in the US.

JENNY CORTES YBAÑEZ BEIJING "One thing for sure, and that's Lily's work does not go unnoticed, as she inspires many around her to also help in their own ways, whether big or small, so that these little ones can have a fighting chance to live and also have a healthy life too."

REBEKAH BODDEN VOLUNTEER "She's invested so much in all of these children, and she is that mother figure. And I think also to us as a staff and a team we all look up to her and even though she might not be our 'mother' as per say, and we all kind of see her that way. And I think that Lily has lots of stories of children she has helped, and took care of them, took a chance on them. That's what mothers do and that's what Lily does over here with all of the kids."     

Today Dew Drops has 75 children under its care. And although Lily may not have children of her own, from what I've seen, I'm sure if they and the 2 thousand plus children she has helped could speak right now, they would definitely be greeting Lily a very special "Happy Mother's Day".  JCY, CGTN, Beijing.