Recently a woman saw a toddler drowning in a pond. No other adults were around, so despite the water's icy temperatures and the fact that she can't swim, the woman, Peng Weiping, jumped into the pond and rescued the toddler, saving the 2-year-old girl's life.
A true hero, right? You would think so, but not everyone agrees. In fact, some have called her downright reckless and irresponsible for the rescue. The reason: Weiping is 6 1/2 months pregnant with twins.
But should that change anything?
According to China Daily, Weiping and her babies are fine. She's currently in the hospital, and the immediate risk of miscarriage has been ruled out. Doctors did say that there could still be consequences for the babies, but that as of now, everyone is stable, fortunately.
Still, the incident, which happened in the Anhui province, has sparked considerable controversy and condemnation of Weiping's actions. One mother-to-be, Wu Ning, told the paper:
Peng was risking not only her own life, but also that of her babies'. Even thought what she did is selfless I wouldn't recommend it — just imagine how she would have felt if she had lost the babies. People have to think rationally about their own safety.
For her part, Weiping says she didn't think twice before she jumped into the pond. She said she just closed her eyes and jumped in.
And really, how could she have done anything else? In a situation like that your instincts kick in, and I can't imagine anyone in the same situation doing anything less than she did. Sure there were her own babies to think about, but when you see a life in front of you fading, how could you not act? If heroes always thought about the personal risks to themselves and consequences for their families, we'd have few heroes. I would hope I would have done the same thing, pregnant or not; I would hope anyone would do the same if it was my child in trouble.
Sure we should take every precaution we can when we're pregnant and not recklessly put our unborn children in danger, but to say that this woman is somehow selfish or careless for her heroic feat is outrageous. She should be nothing but lauded for it, and her twins are lucky to have such a brave mother.
Do you think this woman should be criticized for risking her babies' lives? Do you think you would have done the same thing in a similar situation?
Image via spaceodissey/Flickr
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Comments 148
I will be 33Weeks tomorrow but i would've done the same thing. She is not just a woman but a loving and carring mother. She will be rewarded of her good deed.
This was an emergency and there was no time to think of consequences but it needed an emergency act.
it wasnt selfish at all!!!! she saved a childs life!!!!!
WOW what a brave woman, I'd like to think i would do the same, there is no way i could watch anyone die and i had the means to save their life, to not have done so would certainly give me nightmares every night for the rest of my life, and we won't even talk about how non functional
I'd be during the course of the day, however, i too am curious, she's only two, still a very little one, how did she get to the pond without parents missing her, where are they? why haven't they come forward thanking Peng Weipeng profusely? somethings not right about that particular part of the story, well i thank her for being an awesome human being, what she did was nothing less than amazing.
I believe she did the right thing, reguardless of all of the criticisms. I, too, wonder about the little girl and her family and background, considering they have that stupid "one child " law. ....Which brings on another question.....the woman is carrying twins.....how does the government deal with multiple pregnancies and births..abortion or some sort of "selection"? And I fail to understand how "getting rid of" the girls and keeping the boys solves anything...unless that is how they intend to curb the population and have an ALL MALE society....which solves what?
Never mind pregnant women all over the world seem to toil in the fields performing manual labor and they still have a gazillion babies.