Currently, Chen Meijie can only spend her days in bed. Photo by Men Jiadan. The family of Chen Meijie relies on a retail sesame oil store to barely sustain their livelihood. Photo by Men Jiadan.
On October 11th, China News Service in Luoyang reported (by reporter Men Jiadan) that the 20-year-old female student from Luoyang, Chen Meijie, sacrificed her own lumbar vertebrae to save several playful children. This girl in the prime of her life now has her body fixed with steel plates and is enduring her days lying in bed. Recently, her heroic deeds and living conditions have attracted widespread attention from netizens.
According to reports, Chen Meijie is a student at Luoyang Metallurgical Industry School. In December 2010, she was assigned to an internship at a company in Shanghai. On August 1st, 2011, around 5 p.m., during her break, Chen Meijie visited a friend at the nearby Bel Refractory Materials Company. As soon as she entered the gate, she saw three preschool-aged children playing by the sidewalk next to four stacked refractory material packages over two meters high, which were swaying precariously. In a critical moment, Chen Meijie pulled one boy aside and while pulling the second girl, the material packages fell, trapping her and the two girls inside. Chen Meijie lost consciousness and was later sent to the hospital. The doctors diagnosed her with two comminuted fractures in her lumbar vertebrae, a serious condition. A week later, surgery was performed where three sets of steel plates and six steel nails were implanted into her body. The doctor also stated that after three months of surgery, a review would be necessary, and whether she could stand up again remains uncertain, depending on the results of the review.
After being injured, the company where Chen Meijie interned lent her 61,000 yuan to cover initial medical expenses, but this money quickly ran out. With no means for the impoverished family to raise more funds, on September 17th, her body was fixed with wooden boards, and she endured excruciating pain all the way back home to Luoyang on a long-distance bus.
"After being injured, I heard that those children were all safely out of danger, and I felt very happy," said Chen Meijie, who was resting in bed in a rented house on October 10th. Each of the four refractory material packages weighed one ton. If they had completely fallen onto the defenseless children, the consequences would have been unimaginable. All she wanted at that moment was to protect them; the children were too young. Her weak voice revealed the innocence typical of a student.
After her story was uploaded online by netizens, it drew extensive attention and comments. "A valiant woman, admirable and lovable!" "A flower-like girl, kind and heartwarming." "A civilian hero, respectable." "An enthusiastic and kind-hearted, righteous and pure girl worthy of our emulation." "Good girl, we support you. We hope you stay strong, everything will get better." "When one person is in trouble, help comes from all directions. Let's help her, it's our responsibility!" "Let's give her attention and strength together!"... Netizens expressed admiration, concern, and calls for action, warming Chen Meijie's heart.
Unfortunately, until now, Chen Meijie hasn't met any of the children she saved. This strong and kind-hearted girl couldn't help but cry several times when talking about her treatment after being injured.
"Until now, neither Bel Refractory Materials Company nor the parents of the rescued children have come to visit her, nor has anyone paid a single penny for her medical expenses," Chen Meijie said sorrowfully. Initially, the parents of those children claimed she was injured while saving their kids, but later they changed their story, saying she was injured while playing with the children. The complexity and indifference of reality were unexpected for Chen Meijie, and every time she mentioned it, she couldn't help but cry bitterly. "Did I do wrong by saving them? Who can give me justice?"
"I need my parents to feed me and help me turn over, which makes me very sad." Her family relies on her parents selling ground sesame oil in the market to barely make ends meet. Now, not only can she not help, but she cannot take care of herself and requires substantial medical expenses. Watching her parents' worried faces, Chen Meijie once thought of taking her own life, unsure how to endure this calamity.
Fortunately, on October 11th, when the reporter contacted the school where Chen Meijie attended, the school authorities stated they are coordinating with relevant parties in Shanghai to resolve the issue, and the school has already initiated a donation campaign. (End)