Her daughter was diagnosed with cerebral palsy several months after her birth.

"In the following years, she received treatment at hospitals in Jiamusi, Beijing and Shanghai," Hu said. "We experienced quite a difficult period due to money shortage."

Fortunately, Hu received great help from a doctor in a hospital in Beijing who was sympathetic to her plight.

"He taught me lots of treatment methods and even helped me find a small warehouse to live in for free," she said gratefully.

She spent seven years in Beijing for her daughter's treatment and returned to Shuangyashan in 2003.