A pregnant woman in eastern China gave up her prepared operating room to save another expectant mother suffering massive bleeding.
A video of the emergency “life-and-death relay” in Weifang, Shandong province, has gone viral on mainland social media.
According to People’s Daily, the story unfolded at Weifang People’s Hospital, where an unnamed expectant mother was waiting in the operating room fully prepared for surgery.
She had fasted for nearly two hours before the procedure while her unborn baby kicked restlessly in her womb.
At the same time, a taxi carrying a critically ill pregnant woman screeched into the hospital’s emergency entrance.
Inside, a young woman lay curled up in the back seat, unconscious and soaked in blood.
Doctors soon discovered she had arrived alone, with no family, identification, medical records or deposit.
Zhu Yuchun, director of the hospital’s obstetrics centre, immediately ordered that she be taken into surgery, saying the paperwork could wait and the hospital would cover the initial costs.
But another crisis soon emerged: every operating room was occupied, and the next available theatre would not be ready for at least 40 minutes.
With no time to lose, Zhu entered the operating room where the first expectant mother was waiting and explained the emergency.
“Save her first. I can wait,” the woman said, before leaving the room with medical staff.
The unconscious patient was rushed onto the operating table, where doctors found her baby’s heartbeat had stopped.
She had lost 3,500ml of blood in a short time, close to the total blood volume of an adult woman.
Although removing the uterus is often considered the safest option in such emergencies, doctors managed to save the organ.
But the baby showed no signs of life after delivery. Despite resuscitation efforts, the infant was later pronounced dead.
After more than two hours of surgery, the woman regained consciousness and asked about her child.
Doctors held her hand and told her: “You are alive. We brought you back.”
The next day, she was moved from the intensive care unit to a general ward.
The woman who relinquished the operating room delivered safely; both mother and son are in good health.
Her family supported her decision, telling the mainland media: “If it had been me, I would have done the same.”
The story resonated widely online, with related topics drawing over 32 million views.
One online observer said: “This is a life-and-death relay. This kind mother saved a life. May she and her son live a safe and blessed life.”
The case has also drawn attention to the risks of childbirth.
A Chinese survey of 18,000 pregnant women found that more than a quarter experienced pregnancy-related complications and those who had given birth multiple times were exposed to a higher risk of obesity and diabetes. -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
