CNN Hero Of The Year, Robin Lim, Wins $250,000 For Indonesia Birthing Clinic

After 11 weeks of voting, readers named Robin Lim -- who has delivered more than 4,000 babies for free in Indonesia -- as the 2011 CNN Hero of the Year, the network announced Sunday.

For the fifth year running, CNN brought together celebrities and activists to honor 10 heroes who empower the underserved. Their selflessness extends to military widows, Haiti's youth and high school football players who have suffered spinal chord injuries.

They each shared their stories of triumph on Sunday night, at the awards show hosted by Anderson Cooper, and walked away with $50,000 to put toward building their charities.

"This is the only reality television that I absolutely love," said Jerry Seinfeld who introduced Bruno Serato, a chef who serves pasta dinners to poor children. "Each story has been so moving. Each one just knocks you over."

Lim, known as "Mother Robin" among locals, took away the $250,000 grand prize for her work with Yayasan Bumi Sehat (Healthy Mother Earth Foundation). The foundation offers free prenatal care, birthing services and medical aid in Indonesia, where mothers face a high mortality rate because they often can't afford proper care, CNN reports.

"Today, on our earth, 981 mothers in the prime of their life will die," Lim said after receiving her award. "All of us can help change that. We can save lives together, mothers and babies. Every mother counts and healthcare is a human right."

Prenatal care is a particularly critical need in Indonesia where the average family earns about $8 a day and a complication-free delivery costs $70, according to CNN. Women oftentimes are forced to give up their babies for adoption because they can't pay the hospital fees.

"Every mother should be healthy and strong. Every birth could be healthy and strong," Lim said. "Our world isn't there yet."

A slew of stars, including Christy Turlington Burns who has visited Lim's clinic, joined in celebrating the lifesaving work of the nominees. Kid Rock performed "Care" and Miley Cyrus sang her triple-platinum hit "The Climb."

"I do believe we can build world peace -- one baby, one mother at a time," Lim said during the ceremony. "I found my life's purpose really is love. If I wasn't living for love, every minute of every day, what is the point?"

Want to help? Through Dec. 31, you can give to these 10 causes via Google checkout and 100 percent of the contribution will go directly to the nonprofit. Donate here.

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Comments

[94613]

06:38 AM on 12/13/2011

Newt Gingrich accepts prize for "Beltway Olympics", An event to get the lead out and pack on the patronage. Our "All You Can Eat" contest brings out 535 stalwarts of bingefest

[Ramkshrestha]

05:27 PM on 12/12/2011

Congratulation!!!

[sleo1]

03:52 PM on 12/12/2011

Now this is what I call 'Pro-Life'. Wouldn't it be nice if all those seeking to control women's bodies were worrying more about this?

[NoWayMan]

01:53 PM on 12/12/2011

there are a lot of unsung heroes out there and its great when their causes get some well deserved positive attention.

[heartsmindsvision]

01:00 PM on 12/12/2011

They couldn't find an American.

[Holly Smoke]

01:06 PM on 12/12/2011

American has bury their heart with the Chinese Junks

[NoWayMan]

01:49 PM on 12/12/2011

there's a bigger world out there.

[Mygirl]

12:55 PM on 12/12/2011

Great selection !

[JMcCoy]

12:32 PM on 12/12/2011

I was fortunate enough to attend the awards event. It was an awesome event. I was blessed by each hero's bio but Diane Latiker is amazing! I was so inspired! God bless them all.

[BobLaughlin]

11:58 AM on 12/12/2011

Why wasn't I even nominated as one of the CNN Heroes Of The Year? In traffic, I occasionally let another car in.

[Glassman]

11:54 AM on 12/12/2011

well, it's a far sight better than Kim Kardashian as a "Game Changer".

[kiran1207]

11:45 AM on 12/12/2011

Why is CNN competing in the best hero it sounds wrong all r heroes.

[Mygirl]

12:56 PM on 12/12/2011

Loser !

[Mile End]

11:41 AM on 12/12/2011

I look forward to this show every year - it's so encouraging and uplifting to see good people celebrated for trying to make their part of the world a better place. And it's nice to have a news channel focus on the good that people are doing for a change, in contrast to the bad news and political B.S. they usually have to cover. Kid Rock sure had it right in his song, "I hear screaming on the left, yelling on the right, I'm sitting in the middle trying to live my life." He sure has mellowed with age, and he raises a ton of money and gives away a lot of his own these days. I hope all those celebrities with lots of money are doing the same.

I was very taken by Derrek Kayongo - he has put together an operation that collects barely used hotel soaps, cleans and reprocesses them, and distributes them in impoverished nations such as Haiti, Uganda, Kenya and Swaziland. It's ingenious. You just never stop to think how much simple hygiene can help to prevent illnesses. His whole story is awesome, and he has so much joy and passion - that's where I made my donation this year.

For anyone who's interested but didn't see the show, they're rebroadcasting next Saturday night.

[TXfemmom]

11:05 AM on 12/12/2011

This is a truly wonderful series on CNN and when I watch the stories of the selfless and motivated people nominated it gives me hope for the world. However, Christy Turlington and other celebrities could have financed a couple hundred, if not more, deliveries for the cost of their visits. I attended a charity event here in Houston with a good many extremely wealthy people there and as I looked around the room, I found it appalling that they were "raising" money for a truly needy cause, but the outfits the women and the men were wearing cost ten times what they were raising for the "cause", yet they were so proud of their presence. I made certain I made an extra payment to the event to bring it up to what I had spent on my outfit, which I bought on sale off the rack, borrowed some jewelry, and still had a very good time. Had those women donated the price of their dresses alone, the "charity" would have raised ten times as much, and that didn't even include the lavish cost of the dinner, drinks and entertainment which came out of the affair.

[Cheyla]

10:43 AM on 12/12/2011

I hope they expand their services to include birth control to those mothers who want to focus on a career rather than children.