Mothers extend their care beyond homes

For Lyu Yali and Zheng Min, the BMW Warm-Heart Fund helped them start a journey to find their true callings in life.

They have grown from being housewives and mothers to key members of public welfare activities. They said their new roles have made them happier people, even though helping others sometimes means more responsibilities.

"Real happiness comes from sharing and giving," Lyu said, "doing public welfare is not difficult and everyone can do it."

Lyu's first got involved in public welfare activities in 2009 and since then she has done voluntary work for environmental groups, nursing homes and orphanages.

In 2013, she participated in WHF activities organized for BMW owners and visited nursing homes and orphanages to take care of the elderly and orphans several times.

Lyu also brings her daughter and son along sometimes as she said she believes the experience will help them grow up and care for others.

"Giving and receiving benefits both sides," Lyu said.

The mother-of-two now focuses on helping two sick children from a small village near Jiangyin, in East China's Jiangsu province.

The children are brothers who suffer from myasthenia gravis, a chronic progressive disease in which the muscles, especially those of the head and face, become weak and easily fatigued.

"They can hardly leave their room since they were diagnosed, but they really want to see the outside world," Lyu said. As a mother herself Lyu said she was deeply touched by their simple wish and wanted to help.

She took them to see animals in the zoo, to fly kites in the mountains and eat KFC, "so that they can have a life like every other kid at their age and be happy," Lyu said.

Zheng, who is also a BMW car owner, heard about the brothers through WHF and started helping them as much as she could.

She said: "Doing public welfare requires input of time and energy. The sustainable care for those children in need is essential."

She drives from Shanghai to Jiangyin every month to deliver medicine to the boys. She said: "it is a serious commitment as their disease means they will need to take the medicine for their whole lives."

Thanks to the efforts of Lyu, Zheng and other WHF participants, the brothers were treated at Huashan hospital in Shanghai and their illness is now under control.

The younger brother is able to stand up for couple of minutes with help and the older one can support his own neck, an improvement to how he was previously.

Lyu and Zheng have a special way of showing compassion and caring for and helping children in need.

(China Daily 04/20/2015 page7)