It's 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 of China, up to the year 2015, there were over 500,000 orphans in the country. And many 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. And I was lucky enough to meet one of them, the founder of "Dew Drops Little Flower", "Lily" Lijing Lu, who has already cared for over 2,000 orphans with these conditions. 

Lily, who is a single woman with no kids of her own, has been working with orphans for 12 years now. She started off as a car coordinator, then gradually worked her way to eventually becoming a children's home director and also a medical director for non-profit organizations. And in 2016, after much encouragement from those around her, Lily set up "Dew Drops Little Flower" in China. 

Lily explained how it all began for her. "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. So that's why sometimes we do not give up. So even though the doctors say it's "hopeless" but we still try to see whether there is any way to help."

She 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.

"I had a really struggling time with him. On one side it seemed impossible for him. There were too many things going on with him. But on the other side, he had the cutest, clear eyes, just looking at you. It seemed like he was saying "Help me!" So that was the very struggling part for me," explained Lily as she wiped away the tears streaming down her face.‍

She went on to say, "The local hospital doctor told the orphanage, boys like this wouldn't survive so, maybe just.... like just stop here... And finally I convinced the doctor to try to give him more time and try to do surgery and he survived." 

Lily never gave up on the now 3-year-old boy called "Cam". And today she reports that he happily lives a healthy life with his adopted parents in the US.

What I’ve learned about Lily, having spent the day with her, is that she doesn’t see herself as someone who has “saved” these kids and she doesn’t think she’s a “hero.” But one thing is for sure, Lily’s work does not go unnoticed as she inspires many around her to also help these precious children in their own way so that these little ones can have fighting chance to live.

Like two volunteers, Mary Claire Kraner and Rebekah Bodden, both from the US, who spend much of their time while here in China helping out at "Dew Drops Little Flower."

"I think that there's such a need here that not everyone understands or realizes. And just not even like a need medically, but just a need for like holding and for love and attention. And just things that we take for granted in our everyday lives with our two parents or one parent that these kids just don't get. But they get it here," said Mary Claire.

Rebekah then told CGTN what it's like to work with Lily. "In today's world and especially the work that Lily is doing, even though she may not have biological kids, 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, but in the model of her being a caring figure that we can go to, to learn from...And we all kind of see her that way. And I think that Lily has lots of stories of children she has helped, and taken care of them, taken a chance on them. That's what mothers do and that's what Lily does over here with all of the kids."

This non-profit organization supports not only orphans that need help, but also children from disadvantaged families who need medical assistance or require special care. Apart from the Beijing Medical Care Center, "Dew Drops Little Flower" has two further projects it funds in north China's Shanxi Province and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Today "Dew Drops Little Flower" 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 2,000-plus children she has helped could speak right now, they would definitely be greeting Lily a very special "Happy Mother's Day."