New lease on life

China Daily Sunday edition pays tribute to mothers who have suffered the loss or disability of their only child during the Wenchuan earthquake five years ago.

Related: Give mothers a break: Report

Today is Mother's Day and also the fifth anniversary of the devastating earthquake that hit Wenchuan, Sichuan province, on May 12, 2008. On this occasion, China Daily Sunday edition commemorates mothers who lost their only child during the deadly quake, which took the lives of about 87,000 people.

According to Sichuan's family planning commission, more than 8,000 families suffered the loss or disability of their only children in the disaster. Although most of the women were older and faced complicated pregnancies, many decided to take the risk to conceive again. Now, more than 2,400 babies have been born to such families. The new births help quake victims overcome despair and rediscover their purpose in life.

Wang Xiaoqin's 10-year-old daughter died when the Qushan Primary School in Beichuan county collapsed in the magnitude-8 quake.

In December 2009, 37-year-old Wang gave birth to a girl by caesarean section. Pan Songgang and Duan Xuemei / for China Daily