In East China’s Zhejiang province, a 23-year-old man has been kept alive for almost 5 years with a home-made breathing machine.It’s hard to imagine a noisy, dirty machine like this can be a life support for anyone.
But it has kept 23-year-old Fu Xuepeng alive. The young man was badly injured in a car accident seven years ago, which left him unable to breathe. His parents were too poor to keep him in hospital or to buy a breathing machine. So after two years in hospital, they brought him home started to pump air into his lung manually.
Wang Lanqin, Fu Xuepeng’s Mother, said, "We had to do this 24 hours a day. If we stopped, his face and lips would turn black, as if he was about to die."
Fu Xuepeng’s parents did this in shifts. Every month, they would have to press an air ball 800 thousand times. Seven months later, after wearing out two air balls, they stumbled on the idea of making their own breathing machine.
Wang Lanqin, Fu Xuepeng’s Mother, said, "I saw someone with breathing trouble on television using a machine made from an engine, a bicycle chain and a rope. I thought it could make things easier for us."
And it did. Powered by diesel, the machine has helped keep the young man alive for five years. However, the cost of diesel is too much for the family and they still have to do it by hand as well.
Wang Lanqin, Fu Xuepeng’s Mother, said, "If we do this for a while, we can cut down the cost of fuel."
News of the family’s situation has spread round the country via microblogs, prompting donations of more than 100,000 yuan. And specialists have also examined Fu Xuepeng.
Chen Jialu, Pneumology Dept., Shanghai Chest Hospital, said, "He’s suffering from malnutrition. Look at his hand, it's hard. This is serious edema. Feed him slices of pork, it’s not too expensive."
Fu Xuepeng will soon be rid of the home-made breathing machine. A medical equipment dealer has promised to give him a real respirator. And his parents will also finally be able to stop keeping him alive by hand.
