A 20-year-old woman in China miraculously survived a fall from her 18th-floor apartment after jumping to escape an argument with her boyfriend. Despite suffering severe, life-threatening injuries, doctors have called her survival remarkable as her family now faces mounting medical bills.
A 20-year-old woman in China survived an 18-storey fall after jumping from her apartment balcony in an attempt to escape following an overnight argument with her boyfriend, reported South China Morning Post. As her family struggles to pay for her treatment, her survival—described by doctors as remarkable—has garnered widespread attention.
The incident happened in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province, on July 12 at around four in the morning, according to the report. Before things got out of hand, the woman, going under the nickname Xiaoyi, and her boyfriend had been fighting inside their rented flat for many hours.
Days previously, Xiaoyi had wished to break up with her partner, according to her relatives. On July 10, she had even purchased a train ticket to return to her homeland in the province of Yunnan. But on the evening of July 11, following yet another argument, her boyfriend allegedly locked the flat door and took away her identity card and cell phone, making it impossible for her to leave.
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Her uncle, Li, later said Xiaoyi felt trapped after arguing throughout the night. “She felt dizzy after the argument. At that moment, her only thought was to get out of the apartment and leave,” he said.
In a desperate bid to escape, Xiaoyi jumped from the balcony of the 18th floor. Against all odds, she survived after a tree slowed her fall before she landed on thick brushwood below, significantly reducing the impact.
Her boyfriend allegedly paid the first 20,000 yuan (about US$3,000) for her treatment after rushing her to a neighbouring hospital right away.
Physicians discovered that Xiaoyi had suffered several potentially fatal ailments, including damage to her skull, lungs, liver, and spleen. She also sustained fractures to both legs, the pubic bone, and the pelvis. She had already had two significant surgery and was getting ready for a third one later in July.
Xiaoyi allegedly informed her family that she regretted her rash choice after regaining consciousness. Since then, the family's struggles have transferred from the catastrophe to growing medical costs. According to Xiaoyi's uncle, the family had to spend all of their funds and take out large loans to pay for her mother's cancer diagnosis in 2022.
The family still owing the hospital over 60,000 yuan after Xiaoyi's medical expenditures exceeded 100,000 yuan (almost US$15,000). They eventually used an internet crowdsourcing tool to earn roughly 90,000 yuan, but they were still concerned about the expense of upcoming operations and rehabilitation.
