Brave girl who saved mother left alone in hospital

Updated: 2013-04-08 17:00

By Zheng Jinran (chinadaily.com.cn)

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A 13-year-old girl who was severely injured after running into a burning room to rescue her mother has been abandoned at a hospital by her parents, who say they can no longer afford the expensive medical treatment, Dahe Daily reported on Monday.

The girl, Yan Qianyu, was playing on the top of their house in Dengzhou, a city in Henan province, on March 17 when she noticed her mother's room was on fire.

After remembering her mother was sleeping in the room, the girl ran into the room to wake the woman.

But she tripped, and her whole body became engulfed in flames. Her mother and stepfather survived with only their legs burned and injured.

The girl is in a Nanyang city hospital with third-degree burns covering 95 percent of her body.

A nurse taking care of the girl was quoted saying the girl missed the best time for medical treatment, but still has a chance of survival.

Her parents left the hospital two weeks ago, and have never gone back to visit the girl, the nurse said.

The girl's mother said that they had paid more than 40,000 yuan ($6,450) for the girl's treatment, but failed to borrow more money to pay for the increasing medical fees.

The girl's mother said the stepfather had been smoking in the room at the house, and that ignited gasoline and other inflammable materials there.

The hospital is still treating the girl at its own cost, which is more than 20,000 yuan so far.

Thanks to a video put online telling her story, the girl has received donations from hospital employees and the society totaling more than 10,000 yuan.