Wu Juping takes two-year-old Zhang Fangyu for a walk at the toddler's home in Hangzhou yesterday. The two were meeting for the first time since July 2 when Wu broke Zhang's fall from the window of her 10th-floor home. [Photo: Xinhua]
The woman who risked her own life to save a toddler falling from her 10th-floor apartment in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou met the little girl yesterday for the first time since the accident.
On July 2, two-year-old Zhang Fangyu, better known as Niu Niu, fell from the window of her apartment but her fall was broken when Wu Juping, who was passing by, rushed to catch her.
The toddler's grandmother had gone out to fetch laundry, thinking the girl was asleep.
Niu Niu suffered a perforated spleen, liver and stomach and injuries to lungs, kidneys, brain, heart and spine, as well as her limbs and eyesight.
The accident happened about half an hour after she had lunch and food directly entered her organs that broke during the fall, causing a severe infection in her abdominal cavity, doctors said. She was in a coma for 10 days.
Wu's left forearm was fractured in several places when she rushed to break her fall.
Yesterday, Wu and Niu Niu were allowed to leave hospital for a few hours for the Mid-Autumn Festival, a traditional time for family reunions. The two met at Niu Niu's home, and Wu gave the girl a jade pendant, which in Chinese culture symbolizes safety.
Niu Niu is almost well enough to leave hospital, and Wu is expected to be discharged late this month, according to doctors. They are staying at different hospitals.
