A man who was left in a coma following a car accident in east China has woken after 12 years.

The first thing he saw were tears streaming down the face of his 75-year-old mother, who had been by his bedside day and night for over a decade.

The loving mother, Wei Mingying, had spent her entire life savings on her son's medical expenses and had even taken on a 120,000 yuan (£13,000) debt. At one point, she was so poor that she didn't eat for an entire month, she told reporters.

A man who was left in a coma following a car accident in east China has woken after 12 years

75-year-old Wei Mingying would start her day at 5am: Wash her son's face, bathe him, feed him, take care of his toilet needs, massage and reposition his body to prevent bedsores

Her son, Wang Shubao, was left a quadriplegic after a 2006 crash in Shouguang, Shandong province, reported Jining News. He was 36 years old.

Wang's father had passed away when he was young, leaving his mother as his sole caretaker.

Wei would start her day at 5am: Wash her son's face, bathe him, feed him, take care of his toilet needs, massage and reposition his body to prevent bedsores... looking after her only son dominated her life, but she never complained.

'There was a time when I wouldn't eat for an entire month because we were so poor,' Wei said

Wei massages her son's legs to prevent bedsores. She hopes he could make a full recovery

'There was a time when I wouldn't eat for an entire month because we were so poor,' Wei told Beijing News.

'My mouth, my tongue was all dry. I would just drink water.' The frail mother lost 20kg (44lbs) over the years and now only weighs 30kg (66lbs).

A miracle happened last month when she caught him smiling at her one day, a sign that he had finally regained consciousness.

While Wang is still unable to move or speak, he can now hear his mother and smile in response, according to the report.

'I am just overjoyed. I hope he will make a full recovery,' Wei said. 'I will never give up on him.'

Wang's father had passed away when he was young, leaving his mother as his sole caretaker

Wei has been taking care of her son in Jining, Shandong province for more than a decade

'I hope he can call me "mum" again one day,' she said.

Wei's story touched the hearts of thousands of people in China, with many net users praising the loving mother.

'There is nothing more powerful than a mother's love,' read one comment on Chinese micro-blogging site Weibo.

'This man is a lucky son,' another said. 'I'm in tears!'

'Only a mother would love their child this much,' another said.