PUBLISHED ONJuly 09, 2026 11:00 PMBYEsther LamFor nearly seven years, a woman in China refused to give up on her husband after he fell into a vegetative state in 2019.
What began as an effort to stimulate his nerves turned into a routine she continued until he slowly regained consciousness from 2024.
Her method? Covering his foot with a bag and biting his toes.
Today, Zhao can respond in limited ways — he understands speech, raises his hand in response, and can briefly stand with assistance, reported the South China Morning Post on Thursday (July 9).
Song Mei, 45, and her husband, Zhao Jinqian, a waterproofing worker, used to live modestly with their three children before a tragic accident left Zhao in a coma.
On Oct 13, 2019, Zhao climbed onto a warehouse roof in Henan, China, to rescue a three-year-old child, reported Hong Kong publication HK01.
He reportedly fell about six metres while holding the toddler in his arms, using his body to shield the child from the impact.
He landed head-first, and suffered severe brain injuries and multiple skull fractures, which left him in a coma.
Despite low chances of regaining consciousness, doctors suggested that stimulating Zhao's fingers and toes could help restore nerve function, reported local media.
After Song accidentally discovered that her husband would react slightly when she bit his toes, she continued to do so for years, hoping it would aid in his recovery, according to Chinese internet portal Sohu.
Her hopes came true in 2021, when Zhao regained basic speech abilities, and again in 2024, when he regained some mobility and communication abilities, even struggling to say "I love you" to Song.
For his act of heroism, he was named a Good Samaritan on China's Good People List in 2019 and awarded the title of National Model of Courageous Conduct in 2022, reported HK01.
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