Yesterday, at the door of Meilongzhen on Nanjing Road West in Shanghai, an 86-year-old elderly man fell and received assistance from many kind-hearted people. Oriental Morning Post
In recent times, one incident after another where helping a fallen elderly person resulted in being "extorted" has made originally enthusiastic citizens fearful of assisting the elderly, even leading to situations where the elderly have to offer money to seek help.
However, yesterday, near Jiangning Road on Nanjing Road West at the entrance of Meilongzhen Plaza in Shanghai, a white-haired elderly man suddenly collapsed on the road with blood streaming from his nose. Many passers-by who saw this immediately came forward to lend a hand. "Some offered water, some helped stop the bleeding, others supported him, called 110 (police), or called 120 (emergency medical services). It was a heartwarming scene," a netizen recalled in a Weibo post.
The elderly man fainted while on his way to see a doctor.
At around 12:45 PM yesterday, an elderly man in his 80s, with white hair, suddenly fell while crossing the road. His nose was bleeding heavily, and there were no family members around.
On the zebra crossing outside Meilongzhen Plaza, reporters saw several bloody tissues and dried bloodstains. It is understood that at the critical moment when the elderly man needed help, many passers-by extended their hands to assist by supporting him, offering water, helping clean his wounds, and calling for an ambulance. With everyone's help, the elderly man was quickly sent to the nearby Jing'an District Central Hospital for timely treatment.
No suspicion, only gratitude
Subsequently, in the emergency hall of Jing'an District Central Hospital, reporters saw the elderly man lying on a hospital bed wearing a white T-shirt and jeans. He lay weakly on the bed, with a cut on his nose still oozing blood, and dust on his elbows from the fall.
The elderly man was quite weak, trembling slightly, and had hearing difficulties. When asked by the reporter about the situation, he vaguely replied, "I got dizzy and fell."
But the elderly man vividly remembered the help from the passers-by. Mistaking the reporter for one of the helpers, he repeatedly said "thank you" in a trembling voice.
Not long after, the elderly man's son, Mr. Chen, rushed to the emergency room. He also mistook the reporter for one of the passers-by who brought his father to the hospital and his first words were "thank you," rather than the suspicious look everyone might have imagined.
Mr. Chen told reporters, "My father is already 86 years old, in poor health, and has been lying in bed at home without getting up. This morning, I took him to the Union Hospital for a check-up and was preparing to transfer him to the geriatric hospital. Because it was difficult to hail a taxi, I let him wait in one place while I went out to find a taxi. After half an hour, I finally managed to get a taxi, but when I returned, my father was gone, and I was frantic with worry." Subsequently, Mr. Chen learned from the police at the Nanjing Road Police Station that his father had fallen and had been sent to the hospital.
"My father is in poor health, usually walking unsteadily, with poor memory, requiring us to be by his side all the time. Today, a momentary oversight led to him getting lost, which was truly distressing. Fortunately, good-hearted people helped him," Mr. Chen said gratefully.
Online Voices
"All of us together help"
When the heartwarming scene of many people helping the elderly man who fell was uploaded to Weibo, it sparked heated discussions.
@Wen Ji Petty: It reminded me of my late grandfather, who once fell and broke a bone outside and couldn't get up. At that time, there were good-hearted people who helped send him to the hospital, and we are still grateful to them. This spirit should be revived and not drowned out by the tide of indifference. Kudos!
@Lou Jia Da: In this increasingly cold society, the spirit of Lei Feng is still worth promoting and learning. The government and media also have a responsibility to correct distorted moral values so as to properly educate the next generation.
@Mo Shang Xiao Zhe Hua Kai: Suddenly, I feel a warm current passing through my body. In this society, it is too cruel for a large group of good people to stand idly by, fearing to do good deeds because they might be falsely accused or worried about upsetting acquaintances. Let's all join together and rescue!
@Qing Qing Zi Jin 516: If more people offer help, then the issue of extortion doesn't exist. Alas, practicing Lei Feng spirit now requires skill.
@ChristianChen: My first reaction upon seeing this news was, if we all work together, there won't be any "misunderstanding."
@Xia Gu Rou Qing De Yang Hua: 1) This shows the excellent quality of big city residents - helping those in need collectively, worthy of praise; 2) Working together to help a fallen elderly person is a good method to prevent being bitten back.
@Fan Mang Zu San Ji: Group effort or mutual assistance when someone is in trouble.
Editor's Note
Thank you for "helping an elderly person"
Helping the elderly is naturally the right thing to do, yet reality can be frustrating.
The 2006 "Peng Yu case" marked the beginning of incidents where good intentions led to trouble. On November 20, 2006, Peng Yu claimed that he had helped an elderly woman who had fallen at a bus stop, but she accused him of causing the accident. As a result, Peng Yu was ordered to pay the elderly woman over 40,000 RMB. Eventually, both parties reached a settlement during the second trial.
Five years later, in 2011, multiple "Peng Yu cases" occurred across China, making it difficult to help a fallen elderly person.
On August 4, in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, a 28-year-old youth named Jia Jianying claimed that he had kindly helped an elderly woman who had fallen, only to be extorted for 100,000 RMB. He hoped witnesses would come forward to clear his name.
On August 22, in Tianjin, car owner Xu Yunhe was ordered by the Hongqiao District People's Court of Tianjin to compensate over 100,000 RMB for helping an elderly woman who had fallen while climbing a road barrier illegally. The incident happened on October 21, 2009. Xu Yunhe claimed that he had stopped voluntarily and helped the elderly woman Wang Xiuzhi, who insisted that she had been run over by his car.
On August 26, in Nantong, Jiangsu Province, an elderly man riding a tricycle was injured in a collision. Bus driver Yin Hongbin got out of his vehicle to help the elderly man, only to be falsely accused of hitting him with his bus. It was only after reviewing surveillance footage that Yin Hongbin was cleared of wrongdoing.
On August 28, in Wuhan, Hubei Province, Hu, who was riding an electric scooter, helped an elderly woman who had fallen at a crossroads, only to be falsely accused of hitting her with his scooter. Thanks to witness testimony and thorough police investigation, Hu narrowly avoided further trouble.
...
Good intentions without reward ultimately lead to regrettable "side effects."
On September 6, in Wuhan, Hubei Province, an 88-year-old man fell face-down less than 100 meters from his home at a market entrance. No one dared to help him, and an hour later, he died due to nasal bleeding obstructing his airway.
As a series of incidents where no one dared to help a fallen elderly person sparked heated social discussions, the Ministry of Health's Disease Prevention and Control Bureau published the "Technical Guidelines for Intervening in Elderly Falls" in early September, advocating not rushing to help when encountering a fallen elderly person but instead handling the situation according to specific circumstances and emergency principles. The guidelines suggest that if the elderly person is conscious, the rescuer should inquire about the fall and whether the elderly person remembers the process; if they cannot remember, it could be a case of fainting or stroke, and immediate medical attention or calling emergency services is necessary.
The "timely" publication of the "Technical Guidelines for Intervening in Elderly Falls" by the Ministry of Health undoubtedly added much material for discussion on an already heated topic. This intervention guideline spans 41 pages and over 23,000 words, and some netizens commented that the technical requirements listed make it difficult for ordinary individuals to "meet the standard." Relative to how to help an elderly person who has fallen, netizens and the media seem more concerned with whether they should help.
Some comments questioned - Can a technical guideline cure society's "fear of helping the elderly?" The answer is undoubtedly no.
On September 25, Ms. Hou in Beijing reported to the media that when she helped an elderly person who had fallen at the market, she was instead suspected by the elderly person and their family, forcing her to pay a 2,500 RMB hospital deposit.
Fortunately, amidst the societal confusion over whether to help a fallen elderly person, a heartwarming scene appeared in the bustling district of Shanghai - on September 29, a white-haired elderly man fell and was helped by many people without suspicion or hesitation, only met with repeated "thank you"s. In the pictures uploaded by netizens on Weibo, the elderly man, with white hair, was using a tissue to wipe the blood streaming from his nose, while a young boy supported him from behind.
This scene warmed many hearts.
Helping the elderly often depends solely on human kindness.