Toddler wakes from coma after fall from high-rise apartment
Updated: 2011-07-14 07:57
By Yang Yijun (China Daily)
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SHANGHAI - A toddler who was rescued by a passer-by after falling from a 10th-floor apartment window has finally woken after 10 days in a coma.
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A nurse at the Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine tends Zhang Fangyu on Monday. Huang Zongzhi / Xinhua |
Two-year-old Zhang Fangyu, who is nicknamed "Niu Niu" by her parents, was able to cry and call for her mother, father and grandfather on Tuesday morning.
However, the left side of her body still does not respond to external stimulation, doctors at the Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine said at a news conference.
"Niu Niu's pulse and blood pressure have become normal, therefore we can assume she has survived the crisis," said Zhang Chenmei, director of the hospital's intensive care unit (ICU).
"Since her spinal column was severely injured when she hit the ground on her left side, Niu Niu is suffering hemiplegic paralysis," he said. "The girl may be able to recover from the symptom, but it depends on her willpower and rehabilitation therapy."
After regaining consciousness, Zhang underwent spleen surgery on Tuesday afternoon to relieve an infection.
"She had not woken earlier because of the general anesthesia," her father, Zhang Zhonghua, told China Daily in a telephone interview on Wednesday. "Luckily, the surgery was successful, so most likely Niu Niu's spleen will not have to be removed."
On Monday, Niu Niu's parents were finally allowed into the ward to visit their daughter for the first time since she was admitted to the ICU. The couple has been staying in a rented apartment close to the hospital since the accident.
"When we entered the ward, Niu Niu opened her eyes a bit, as if she was trying to see us," Zhang said. "She has lost a lot of weight but looked in good condition. My wife and I are finally relieved."
Zhang Zhonghua said that when he and his wife put a lollipop near her mouth, she licked it and bit it slightly, although she was still unconscious. Both parents cried when they saw this.
Zhang Fangyu fell after climbing through the window of the family's apartment in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province. She would certainly have died were it not for the quick reactions of Wu Juping, who managed to catch her before she hit the ground.
The 31-year-old woman suffered a broken arm for her bravery and is receiving treatment at the Fuyang Traditional Chinese Medicine Bone Fracture Hospital.
"My wife's left arm is recovering well," Chen Jianguo told China Daily on Wednesday. "The doctors say if her condition remains stable for two or three weeks she will not need surgery."
The families of Niu Niu and Wu have become close friends since the accident. Chen said they update each other on the latest condition by phone and text messages every day. "Now Niu Niu is just like our daughter," he said.
Wu has been dubbed by Chinese netizens as "the most beautiful mother" for her heroic action.
During the hour the hospital has set aside for interviews every day, Wu's ward is always crowded with reporters.
"We're grateful for the attention, but we're just ordinary people. We will eventually return to normal life," Chen said.