A 19-year-old's dreams of a job and a brighter future for her family were shattered when she broke her back trying to escape from a gang that was forcing her into sexual slavery.
Chen Deping, from Shiyan in Hubei, jumped from the fifth-floor of a building in Guangzhou's Haizhu district on June 1, landing on a canopy, which broke her fall. Since then, she has been in Guangdong No2 People's Hospital, too poor to afford an operation that could spare her from being crippled.
Ms Chen's body is covered in bruises. She cannot sit up and is in constant pain. Boyfriend Liu Yunlong , a farm worker, also said she sometimes could not control her bladder.
'I don't know what we can do or who can help me,' she said. 'We are totally helpless.'
A doctor said Ms Chen had suffered a fracture to her lumbar vertebra that could leave her a paraplegic, especially if she did not receive an operation.
But without any money, Ms Chen has been left bedridden for almost two weeks. Mr Liu has begged the government and police for help, but to no avail.
Mr Liu said he planned to take Ms Chen back home this week because he was concerned they would have no money left for the journey if she stayed in hospital, which costs more than 80 yuan a day, even though it had only provided some pills.
