Caring mom's gift to 100 children

Zhang Tielian helps a hearing-impaired boy to feel the vibration of air during a pronunciation training class in Xiaoxia Hearing-impaired Child Care Center in Hohhot, North China's Inner Mongolia, Oct 13, 2012. [Photo/Xinhua]

A mother who quit her job to help her sick daughter speak again has now passed on her gift to almost 100 children suffering hearing problems or autism.

Zhang Tielian is the founder of Xiaoxia Hearing-impaired Child Care Center in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia autonomous region. Founded in 1996 in her daughter's name, the center has rehabilitated scores of children, helping them to go to school to receive an education like their peers.

Zhang and her school colleagues have developed effective training methods for hearing-impaired children, receiving acclaim from the government and the public.

Zhang Tielian teaches hearing-impaired children during a speech training class, Oct 12, 2012. [Photo/Xinhua]

In 2008, Zhang was hailed as a "loving mother" in China, and her team acclaimed as a pioneering group for the help they provided to children.

The idea of setting up the child care center came after Zhang's daughter lost her hearing and ability to speak from taking the wrong medication.

Zhang quit her job as a primary school teacher and began to learn speech training methods for hearing-impaired children. After more than three years, her hard work paid off and Zhang's daughter finally uttered her first words.

Today, Zhang's daughter is a successful college student, but it has not stopped her mother helping other hearing-impaired children.

"I am an unfortunate mother, but I am also a lucky mother, for I am the mother of so many hearing-impaired children," Zhang said. "My biggest wish is to help my kids lead a normal life just as their peers do."