Woman breaks toddler's 10-storey fall

A Chinese woman and the toddler she saved from a 10-storey fall both face difficult recoveries: the rescuer may have a paralyzed forearm and the baby remains in a coma.

The two-year-old girl tumbled out of her family's apartment window in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province, on Saturday.

Neighbours said they saw the girl — named Zhang Fangyu but known as "Niu Niu" — dangling from the apartment window for several minutes. China Daily reports that one neighbour tried to extend a ladder to the child, but she did not grab it.

Around the same time, 31-year-old Wu Juping was walking by on her way to run an errand, according to CCTV.

Wu spotted Niu Niu and reportedly "kicked off her high-heeled shoes" to run toward the child, catching her just in time to break the impact.

"It was so urgent," CCTV quoted Wu as saying. "I saw her when she was about to fall and rushed there, and after tens of seconds she fell off."

Girl's survival not certain

The girl remains in a deep coma at Zhejaing Children's Hospital, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

"Whether Niu Niu can finally survive is still unknown," the Dr. Zhang Chenmei told reporters.

Wu, herself the mother of a seven-month-old, is recovering from a broken arm in a Fuyang hospital that specializes in treating fractures.

Wu's doctor, Jin Dengfeng, said the woman's forearm may be paralyzed for life, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Meantime, the incident is generating thousands of blog entries in China — with netizens referring to Wu as the "most beautiful mother" — and has also made the rounds on social networking sites in different languages.

The posts hail Wu as a hero and wish for the full recovery of both woman and child.

Xinhua News Agency reports that Wu's employer, the Alibaba Group, has promised her just under $30,000 Cdn for her good deed.

About 200 neighbours and well-wishers held a candlelight vigil on Monday for the child's recovery. They gathered outside the apartment block where the incident occurred, according to China Daily.

"It's a miracle that Wu managed to catch the girl," neighbourhood committee head Lin Xiaoyun told reporters. "We hope the miracle can continue and the girl will recover."