Man spends 1 million RMB to care for wife in vegetative state

The light in the bedroom of Ge Jianhua’s home has been on for 10 years. Ge, who lives in Xi’an, says this is an old belief: people live if the light does not go off.

In December 2006, Ge’s 34-year-old wife fell from a second-floor balcony onto her head. After spending seven months in the intensive care unit, his wife still had not regained consciousness. The doctor told Ge that the best result he could hope for was a persistent vegetative state. But Ge refused to give up. He took his wife home after one year in the hospital. He began to take care of her like one would a baby.

At that time, he was a successful businessman, immersed in the world of real estate development. To pay for medical expenses, he sold each of his three cars and spent over 1 million RMB in savings. Today, he only brings 10 RMB when he goes to the market.

Still, a smile appears on Ge's face when he looks at his family album. Thanks to his meticulous care, his wife has a rosy complexion. She looks like a normal, healthy person, despite the fact that she has been lying in bed for 10 years. Perhaps due in part to Ge's dedicated care, she has finally shown some swallowing responses.