This article is reprinted from Page A03 of the Jinling Evening News, July 25.

　　A baffling accident rewrote a young girl’s life: a top high school student suddenly fell into a vegetative state, leaving her family in shock. Yet their unwavering determination became the family’s guiding principle. Amid her mother’s heartfelt calls, the resilient girl eventually regained consciousness. Yesterday, at Nanjing Zijin Hospital, reporters met her; she not only calls out “Mom” and “Dad” but has also begun to communicate with others. Professor Wang Peidong, president of Nanjing Zijin Hospital, described her case as nothing short of a miracle—attributing it in large part to her mother’s loving, persistent appeals.

　　An 18-year-old girl became a “vegetative state” after an accidental fall.

　　Lu Mengxian is 18 years old and a second-year high school student at Zhonghua Middle School. Even now, her father still can’t fathom how the accident happened—why that tumble was so severe. On January 22, he rode his electric scooter to pick her up from school. As they neared Daming Road, he noticed the battery was running low and had to slow down, but fortunately, they were almost home.

　　An accident struck suddenly! “I felt the front of the car swerve sharply, and then I lost consciousness,” said Mr. Lu. When he came to, he found his daughter lying nearby in a coma. Though she had no visible injuries, he called out to her repeatedly, but she showed no response. Two police officers standing by told Mr. Lu that both he and his daughter had been thrown from the vehicle all at once, and it took more than two minutes for him to regain consciousness.

　　After briefly assessing the injuries of Mr. Lu and his daughter, the two police officers immediately called 120. “They told me they were from the Qinhuai Sub-bureau and happened to be driving by when they saw us suddenly fall for no apparent reason,” Mr. Lu said. An ambulance arrived shortly thereafter. Feeling that his own condition was not serious, Mr. Lu asked the paramedics to take his daughter to the hospital and called his wife to come as well. He then rode his electric scooter home before taking a taxi to the hospital himself.

　　Following diagnosis, Lu Mengxian was found to have an intracranial hemorrhage and underwent craniotomy that same day. Although he subsequently opened his eyes, he lost consciousness and remained in a vegetative state.

　　Never give up—no matter how difficult it is, I’ll save her.

　　For this family, such news was nothing short of a bolt from the blue; their daughter was the family’s hope.

　　Last May, Mr. Lu underwent cervical spine surgery, which cost him over 50,000 yuan after deducting the portion covered by medical insurance. At the end of last year, Lu Mengxian’s grandfather passed away. Unexpectedly, another misfortune struck the family.

　　After 18 days of treatment in the intensive care unit of Nanjing First Hospital, Lu Mengxian became a “vegetative state patient with eyes open.”

　　Although her life was saved, she still required a wake-up surgery. Following the doctors’ recommendation, on February 8, Mr. Lu’s daughter was transferred to Nanjing Zijin Hospital for continued treatment.

　　“My daughter has been an outstanding student from elementary school through high school, consistently ranking among the top in her class. After the accident, both her teachers and the school have shown great concern, even sending us money for medical expenses on two occasions,” said Mr. Lu. “Although the medical bills are steep, her teachers and classmates are still waiting for her to come home. We simply can’t give up—we’ll do whatever it takes to save her, no matter how difficult.” Ms. Lu used to work as a busboy at a restaurant, but now she’s unable to hold down a job to care for her daughter. The family lives in an affordable‑housing unit. “We have no savings; almost all of our daughter’s treatment costs have had to be borrowed, and we’re fast running out of money to pay them.” These days, the couple subsist on steamed buns and pickled vegetables, just to stretch their meager budget. Yet they’ve never once lost hope.

　　A miracle has occurred: the vegetative-state patient has awakened.

　　Since the day of the accident, Mother Lu has never left Lu Mengxian’s side. “After crying my heart out, I told myself I had to be strong and give my child 100 percent of my confidence,” she told reporters. Every day, she wipes and massages Lu Mengxian, chats with her, and calls out to her, hoping she’ll wake up. “Before, when she called me ‘Mom,’ I didn’t feel a thing. But during those days she was asleep, I wished so badly she’d just say my name once,” Mother Lu said. In addition to talking, she plays the music her daughter loves. Finally, on April 8, Lu Mengxian called out, “Mom.” “I thought it was the most beautiful sound in the world—my child had awakened. I quickly called the doctors, and they confirmed it was real, truly real,” she recalled, still vividly remembering that moment. “With such a breakthrough, we can’t afford to give up. We keep up with rehabilitation and training every single day. Now Mengxian is doing wonderfully,” Mother Lu added, full of admiration for her daughter’s progress. What did you have for breakfast? Steamed buns. Which school do you go to? Zhonghua Middle School… In the hospital room, the reporter was able to exchange a few words with Mengxian.

　　Sincere thanks to those kind people.

　　Liu Yafeng, Mengxian’s attending physician, told reporters that Mengxian is recovering well; his long-term memory has improved considerably, though his short-term memory remains somewhat impaired.

　　In addition, lower‑extremity strength still requires further rehabilitation. With consistent therapy, one day Mengxian will be able to return to school. Professor Wang Peidong, president of Nanjing Zijin Hospital and a leading expert in brain resuscitation, told reporters that Mengxian’s recovery to this point can only be described as a medical miracle, largely attributable to the heartfelt love and care of her parents.

　　Upon learning that a reporter had come to interview them, Mr. Lu’s father specifically asked the reporter to extend his gratitude to the kind-hearted people who stepped forward. When they were struggling to cover the medical expenses, a website called “QingSongChou” and teachers and students from their school rallied to donate. Thanks to your compassion, they will strive even harder.

　　Jinling Evening News reporter Li Hua