As a child, my grandfather often told me stories of real heroes, not the fictional ones from books. One story that particularly resonated with me was about a man named Ma Sanxiao.

Ma Sanxiao, a 70-year-old from Maiyu, China, embarked on an extraordinary journey in 2000. After losing his legs, he began planting trees to support his family. What started as a necessity turned into a lifelong mission.

The region near the Taihang Mountains was facing severe deforestation, threatening to become a desert. Ma, however, refused to give up. Over the years, he planted 17,000 trees, helping to restore the region’s ecosystem and prevent an environmental catastrophe.

Every morning, he would wake up at 5 AM, hop into his tuk-tuk, and travel to the affected areas. Once there, he would remove his prosthetics and crawl to plant trees. The work was physically demanding, and he endured numerous injuries, but he never wavered in his determination.

In 2008, the government recognized his efforts and provided financial assistance. But for Ma, money was not the primary motivation. He wanted to give back to society and felt a sense of belonging among the trees he had planted.