Man’s selfless act in 2019 saving child during fall left him brain-damaged but wife’s devotion to his recovery wins online praise
South China Morning Post
12th July 2026
Man’s selfless act in 2019 saving child during fall left him brain-damaged but wife’s devotion to his recovery wins online praise
By Zoey Zhang
A woman in central China has captured the hearts of many online after helping her husband emerge from a year's-long vegetative state by biting his toes to stimulate his nerves.
Song Mei, 45, a former kindergarten art teacher from Henan province, and her husband Zhao Jinqian, a waterproofing worker, had lived modestly with their two children before tragedy upended their lives.
Local reports described the couple as generous even when it exceeded their means. Song gave free painting lessons at home to children from poor families, while Zhao, after years of gruelling work on construction sites, sponsored a student from a remote mountain area.
In October 2019, Zhao climbed onto a warehouse roof to rescue a trapped three-year-old child. He fell from a height of about six metres while holding the youngster in his arms, using his body to shield the child as they plunged to the ground.
The child escaped unharmed, but Zhao landed head first, suffering severe brain injuries and multiple fractures. Doctors said his chances of waking were vanishingly small, and that he had survived at all was a miracle.
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