This article is reprinted from the Nanjing Morning Post, page A11, July 25, 2017.

　　Original Title: High School Student Accidentally Falls and Becomes a “Vegetative State”; Mother Watches Over Her Daughter for Months, Eventually Awakening Her

　　Six months ago, following an accident, 18-year-old Pingping (pseudonym) suffered a severe traumatic brain injury. After surgery, she remained unconscious and in a vegetative state. Following more than six months of treatment at Nanjing Zijin Hospital, coupled with her mother’s heartfelt, round-the-clock calls, she finally regained consciousness.

　　On the afternoon of January 22 this year, while riding an electric scooter with her father, Pingping, who had just started her first year of high school, accidentally fell. She hit her head on the ground, lost consciousness immediately, and began experiencing limb convulsions and incontinence. Her family rushed her to a major hospital, where she was diagnosed with severe traumatic brain injury, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and multiple skull fractures. That same day, the emergency department performed intracranial hematoma evacuation and decompressive craniectomy under general anesthesia. Although her life was saved, Pingping remained in a state of altered consciousness. Her family then transferred her to Nanjing Zijin Hospital, which specializes in treating patients in a vegetative state through targeted therapies. According to President Wang Peidong of the hospital, based on a 20-point efficacy scoring system, Pingping’s initial score upon admission was only 5, placing her firmly in a vegetative state—put simply, she had become a “vegetative patient.” Watching her daughter lying in the hospital bed, Pingping’s mother could not eat, yet she refused to give up, staying by her side and speaking to her continuously, hoping that her words might help her wake up sooner.

　　Attending physician Liu Yafeng devised a wake‑up and rehabilitation plan for Pingping, including hyperbaric oxygen therapy and electrical stimulation. Thanks to the hospital’s meticulous care and her mother’s round‑the‑clock calls, by early April, Pingping was able to follow commands, reach out to grasp objects with her left hand, produce an “ee” sound, and even utter single syllables such as “mama” and “papa.” Her therapeutic outcome score had reached 12 points. A few days later, she regained full consciousness, could engage in simple verbal exchanges, recognize basic English words and phrases, use her fingers to indicate numbers, and perform straightforward addition. Her mother said excitedly, “She can now write her own name and some English words—though her hand still trembles a bit, so her handwriting isn’t perfectly neat.” Pingping’s recovery has been improving day by day, and her father is currently preparing to take her for cranial reconstruction surgery.

　　Photo report by Qian Ming, Nanjing Morning Post reporter.