Eastday-Girl who defended mom likely to wake from coma

A GIRL being treated for a serious brain injury sustained while trying to shield her mother from a steel shovel wielded by a mentally ill man has made big improvements and is expected to wake up from coma soon.

Yesterday was the 70th day Wang Yan remained at a local hospital.

Doctors said she stopped having convulsions, which were occurring over 20 times a day, and started to respond to sound and pain, a good sign for regaining consciousness.

Officials from Shanghai Charity Foundation and Shanghai East Radio Station jointly set up a special fund for Wang, who is from a poor farm family in a small village in Anhui Province.

As of yesterday, local residents, companies and the hospital had collected more than 610,000 yuan (US$ 96,825) to help cover her medical bills after Wang's story was spread by the media.

"We want to help the little girl, whose bravery and love for her mother deeply move everyone," said Zhang Minquan from East Radio Station.

Doctors said they are confident about Wang waking up.

"I can't say exactly when she will wake up, but I am very glad about her improvement so far," said Dr Pan Renlong, Wang's chief doctor.

Wang Yan's mother died in the attack on April 21. The girl suffered a fractured skull and severe injury to her brain stem. She was in deep coma after the attack and was able to breathe on her own after 10 days of treatment.

When Anhui doctors told the family that the girl would not wake up from the coma, her brother and father decided to take her to Shanghai, which has more advanced medical capabilities.

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Eastday-Girl who defended mom likely to wake from coma