That changed in 1996 when a small group of dedicated volunteers with the Topsail Turtle Project stood on an empty lot in Topsail Beach, N.

FORBES: 12 Days of Charitable Giving 2012: Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center

Like the other structures in Lingshui, the sea turtle hospital is little more than a small dock topped with a hut.

BBC: The unlikely sea turtle saviour