Wu is celebrating Niuniu's birthday together with the girl's family on May 25, 2025. Photo: People's Daily

Wu Juping celebrated the 14th birthday of a girl she saved from a high-rise fall in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang province on May 25. Fourteen years ago, her heroic rescue that resulted in comminuted fractures earned her China's prestigious Touching China award, after which she devoted herself to philanthropy, People's Daily reported.

In 2011, a two-year-old girl nick-named Niuniu suddenly fell from the 10th floor of a building in Hangzhou city. At that critical moment, Wu happened to be passing by below. Acting on instinct, she stretched out her arms and rushed forward without hesitation, catching the child with her bare hands.

The catch left Wu with multiple comminuted fractures in her left ulna and radius, knocking her unconscious on the spot. Yet, it was also that very act that saved Niuniu's life.

According to People's Daily, some netizens later calculated the physics: A two-year-old child weighs about 30 pounds (15 kg), and falling from the 30-meter-high 10th floor meant Wu's arms had to absorb an impact equivalent to more than 300 kilograms in that instant.

"It happened in an instant. I didn't have time to think. I just knew she was a child, and I'm a mother. For a mother saving a child is the most natural thing in the world," Wu said.

For her heroic act, Wu was hailed as "the most beautiful mother" and received the 2011 Touching China Award, which honors the nation's most inspiring role models each year.

To express their gratitude, Niuniu's parents asked Wu to become their daughter's godmother. When Wu visited Niuniu after her recovery, she made a heartfelt promise: "I'll come celebrate your birthday every year from now on."

After recovering, Wu dedicated herself to philanthropy, traveling across the country to provide systematic support for mothers facing hardship.