Q&A: Orphanage owner shares thoughts after fire

Ten children are in government custody following a fatal fire that destroyed the children's home, an unregistered orphanage, in Central China's Henan province on Friday. The civil affairs bureau of Lankao county said the children had been living with a woman named Yuan Lihai, who is believed to have been operating the unregistered orphanage out of her home since 1986, using money earned from working as a street vendor to provide for them. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

The following is a roundup of the latest media reports concerning Yuan Lihai's orphanage.

How do friends see Yuan Lihai?

"Without her (Yuan Lihai), it would be impossible for these kids to be alive today. They would have died a long time ago," said a friend of Yuan.

A relative of Yuan told media that Yuan was not even willing to spend 800 yuan ($128) to buy medicine for herself in the wake of a physical check at a hospital in 2012 because she felt it was too expensive.

"Yuan always gave the kids whatever they wanted," said a friend Wang Hua.

"Almost all the children Yuan adopted were handicapped. Some of them would often defecate in their pants, but Yuan still insisted on helping them change their pants each time," said Wang. "For me, it is hard to do that."

How do children see Yuan Lihai?

"I grew up with my grandparents and older uncle until I was 12," said Du Ming, Yuan's younger son, who was sent by Yuan to her husband's hometown in North China's Hebei province at a very early age. The move was done in order to spare Yuan time to take care of the adopted children.

Du is able to recall only two meetings with his mother before 12, at the age of 7 and 9.

"Mom (Yuan) is the greatest mother in the world," said 20-year-old Yuan Song who was adopted by Yuan Lihai as a little kid after being abandoned by his family due to cerebral palsy.

When the adopted son wanted to give some cash to Yuan after receiving his first paycheck, she refused to accept. She said, "I will be satisfied if you don't leave me alone when I am old."

Yuan Lihai goes into detail about adoption

Reporter: Where were you when the fire broke out?

Yuan Lihai: I was busy with something at the north gate when I received a call from my daughter around 8 or 9 am saying, "There's a fire!" I ran home calling my childrens' names. But there was no answer. The blaze started from the sitting room, and then spread to the kitchen. It was too hot… It reached Wu Hai, Xiao Yu and Zha Gen. I was in a mess that time.

Reporter: How did you feel when you saw this?

Yuan: I wanted to throw myself into the fire. I would rather the fire killed me. My children were all in the fire. I sat alone in the sitting room after the fire was extinguished, missing my children. I love them.

Reporter: When did you start adopting children? How many have you adopted?

Yuan: Since 1989. Some older ones have found jobs now. I have adopted more than 100 children in the past 23 years.