Return residents

The one-month agreement does not apply to return visitors. Zhan Jiaxing, a 12-year-old who had bone replacement surgery in her left arm in May due to a tumor, has stayed in the apartment building five times, undergoing chemotherapy two weeks every month.

Going downstairs to the communal kitchen to cook noodles for her lunch, Zhan, who comes from a rural area of Jining city, Shandong province, said: "It's warmer in Shanghai in winter. It snows in my hometown, but it doesn't snow here."

Zhan said she often used to invite classmates home for meals, as she and her mother are good cooks. However, in the apartment, Zhan's culinary skills were challenged, with noodles and other food sticking to the bottom of a pot, as she could not lift her left arm and was only able to use the right one.

Li Xianxian, the girl's mother, said her daughter is talkative and capable of taking care of herself. At the beginning of the fifth grade, she started to cycle to school, but fell ill four months later.

During the first two months when Zhan was treated at the Shanghai hospital, mother and daughter stayed in a nearby 20-square-meter apartment, but the rent of 3,500 yuan a month and medical bills were a heavy burden for the single mother. When Zhan started chemotherapy, the hospital offered free accommodations at the Xiaobu Home.

Li, 39, said: "I was touched. We traveled quite a long way to Shanghai, but felt really frightened because of my daughter's condition. The hospital and the Xiaobu Home have provided so much heartwarming help throughout this difficult time."

She said Zhan completed chemotherapy early this month and will have a follow-up check on Feb 7.

"If everything goes well, I plan to send her back to school in September. She has been continuing her studies with my help," Li added.