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A woman in her 20s in China survived after jumping from the balcony of an 18th-floor apartment following a heated argument with her boyfriend, her fall broken by tree branches below.

The South China Morning Post reported Tuesday (local time) that the woman, identified only as A, fell from an apartment in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, at around 4 a.m. on July 12 and was seriously injured.

She survived because a tree in a garden bed caught her on the way down, cushioning the impact.

Her boyfriend found her in the garden shrubbery and rushed her to a hospital, paying 20,000 yuan ($2,960) upfront for her treatment.

A sustained injuries to her head, lungs, liver and spleen, as well as fractures to her pelvis, pubic bone and both legs, requiring three separate surgeries.

After regaining consciousness, A told her family what had led her to jump. She had told her boyfriend on July 10 that she wanted to break up and booked a train ticket to return to her hometown in Yunnan. The following night, the two argued again.

Her boyfriend confiscated her ID and phone to stop her from leaving and locked the door so she could not get out. Desperate to escape, she jumped from the window.

A's uncle said his niece had felt dizzy after arguing with her boyfriend through the night. "In that moment, all she could think about was escaping the apartment and getting away from him," he said, adding that she now regrets her impulsive decision.

"She was really lucky," the uncle said. "Just a few meters from the garden bed was a concrete floor — if she had landed there, she would certainly have died."

A's story came to light after media reports highlighted her family's struggle to cover her medical bills. Her family is in severe financial difficulty: her mother was diagnosed with cancer in 2022, wiping out the family's savings, and her father has had to borrow money.

A's medical bills have so far exceeded 100,000 yuan, and her family has raised 90,000 yuan through an online fundraising platform, which they plan to put toward the hospital costs.

Meanwhile, her boyfriend attempted to visit A in the hospital on multiple occasions, but her family called police each time, preventing him from entering.

Online commenters reacted with a mix of sympathy and caution. "Life only comes once — when conflict arises, take a deep breath and don't gamble with your life," one wrote. "It was a truly foolish choice. No one is worth sacrificing your own life for," said another.

If you're thinking about self-harm or suicide, contact the Ministry of Health and Welfare's helpline 1393, available 24/7. Please request a translator for English-language services.

China Pick
China Pick

jshan@heraldcorp.com