Home » Metro » Society

THE hero who suffered serious burns while alerting neighbors after a late-night fire broke out in a residential building has made huge progress in the past year.

Wang Haibin, who is 27, paid a heavy price for ensuring his neighbors’s safety when their residential building in Minhang District caught fire on June 16, 2015. More than 80 percent of his skin was burnt.

He had run up and down the six-story building to knock on doors alerting his sleeping neighbors of the danger and then rushed to open the scorched gate to let in firefighters.

“He left the convalescent hospital recently to spend the Spring Festival with our family,” his father Zhou Zhengpei told Shanghai Daily. “He spent only five days at home, but our whole family felt very happy to have him with us in the Chinese traditional holiday for family reunion.”

Wang’s bravery was praised and recognized by the government.

The fire started after midnight and was caused by a moped being charged up on the ground floor.

Wang was released from hospital at the end of 2015 after having several surgery operations but has had to stay in a convalescent home to undergo long-term rehabilitation.

During his short Spring Festival reunion at home, he and his family had dinner together on Lunar New Year’s Eve and took pictures to celebrate the coming of the new year. A year ago the family had to put celebrations on hold as Wang faced operations and rehabilitation.

Now he can grasp some light objects with his fingers and it delighted the whole family when he handed a kumquat to his grandmother.

During his stay at home, Wang was able to walk around the community and to a nearby park.

“But there is still a long way to go for him to regain self-care ability,” his father said. “And the main thing this year is also rehabilitation.”

Wang’s bravery has touched many people in Shanghai and citizens had made donations and sent gifts to him, including a painting of rooster from a woman in her 80s.

Wang left home on the fifth day of the new Chinese calendar year to return to the convalescent hospital.

He told Shanghai TV that coming home for Spring Festival felt like being recharged and it gave him more courage and confidence to face challenges ahead.

Zhou said his son was likely to undergo another operation on his hands but he was not sure when.

“It will depend on his rehabilitation progress and doctor’s diagnosis,” he added.

According to Shanghai TV, the Minhang branch of the Shanghai Charity Foundation set up a special fund for Wang in 2015 that has since received more than 2.6 million yuan (US$380,000) in donations.

Shanghai TV said about 1.17 million yuan had been spent on his medical and convalescent needs and the rest of the funding would be used to support further treatment and after care.