“Once my legs can walk again, I’ll definitely kneel down to thank Dr. Gao,” said Wang Jiang (a pseudonym), who had been in a vegetative state for more than two months while lying in a hospital bed at Nanjing Zijin Hospital. Recently, upon regaining consciousness, he listened as his family recounted the devoted and meticulous care provided by his attending physician, Dr. Gao Jirong, and, with tears of emotion welling in his eyes, uttered these words.

　　The incident dates back to the evening of November 23, 2016, when Wang Jiang, an employee of a company in Nanjing, was driving with his newlywed wife and parents from out of town to Nanjing. While traveling on an icy section of the Taizhou Expressway, they were involved in a tragic car accident, resulting in fractures to both lower limbs.

　　On the second day after being rushed to a hospital in Taizhou for treatment, Wang Jiang went into shock and fell into a coma due to fat embolism and other complications following his fracture. On the 23rd day after the injury, as he lay in his hospital bed with his eyes open yet completely unconscious, and seeing the anxious looks and helplessness of his family, the doctors recommended an immediate transfer to the China Brain Resuscitation Center at Nanjing Zijin Hospital for continued care.

　　On the second day after Wang Jiang was admitted, President Wang Peidong personally convened a multidisciplinary expert consultation. Renowned hyperbaric oxygen therapy specialist Zhang Xuzhong developed a hyperbaric oxygen treatment plan and continuously adjusted the therapeutic and nursing protocols in response to the patient’s evolving condition.

　　On the 33rd day of hospitalization, Wang Jiang entered a minimally conscious state and could occasionally follow simple commands. Although he remained unable to speak, his progress gave his family renewed hope.

　　A few days later, Wang Jiang’s colleagues came to visit him, and he was even able to recognize them—his consciousness had finally returned, much to the delight of his family.

　　On the 44th day of his hospitalization, after completing hyperbaric oxygen therapy and returning to his room, Wang Jiang noticed his wife on the phone. Suddenly, he asked, “Who are you talking to?” His family was stunned: “Wang Jiang, you can speak now?” Unable to believe their ears, they kept asking him over and over, and he answered fluently each time. Thinking back on those 70 days of anxiety, hardship, perseverance, and waiting, his family gathered around his hospital bed, letting tears of joy stream down their faces. (Text by Fan Yinghua)