The woman whose unlicensed orphanage in central China's Henan Province caught fire and claimed seven young lives was rushed to hosiptal but said she has a "clear conscience" and will not abandon her charity work。
"Dozens of children would have died if I had not taken them in," Yuan Lihai, 48, said at a hospital ward in Lankao County on Sunday. "I have a clear conscience."
Yuan, who has a history of high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease, complained of breathing difficulties late Saturday night and was sent to hospital。
Before she fell ill, local authorities held her in isolation in a hotel room for questioning. Even her family was unable to find her。
A fire broke out in her two-story home on Friday morning when she was taking the older children to school. Seven people, including children aged seven months to five years and one 20-year-old man, died in the fire。
A 10-year-old boy nicknamed "Xiao Shi" narrowly survived with injuries to his respiratory system. He remains in intensive care at a hospital in Kaifeng, the city with jurisdiction over Lankao County。
The children were left at home unattended when the fire broke out. "I hired a nurse to help me look after the kids, but she had a second job at the county hospital. So, she left every morning after preparing the children's breakfast."
Yuan's biological daughter called her about the fire. "I ran home and was desperate to dash into the flames, but passed out."
Eighteen homeless children and young people were staying with her at the time of the accident. Most of them have congenital diseases ranging from infantile paralysis and albinism to heart disease. Some are mentally handicapped。
The 10 who were not harmed in the fire have been relocated to a welfare home in Kaifeng。
Yuan refuted widespread speculation that she had unlawfully profited in under-the-table adoption deals. "Shoot me if you have evidence that I sold any children."
She began taking in homeless children, including orphans and abandoned children, in the 1980s but never went through formal adoption procedures。
She raised at least 100 children with the money she earned by selling homemade pancakes and other snacks, allowances granted by the government to support the children and some donations from individuals。
"They are all like my own children and I miss them terribly," Yuan said through tears。
"Do you think I can see a child die from cold and hunger out there in the street?" she said when a Xinhua reporter asked if she would continue her charity work. "I will certainly give a hand as long as I'm still alive."
据中国之声《央广新闻》报道，河南兰考7名被收养的孤儿被烧死事件当事人之一、收养人袁厉害目前正在医院里接受治疗。
今天上午，记者在人民医院看到了袁厉害的儿子，他表示其母亲昨天晚上由于血压过高被送到医院。在病房中袁厉害一直昏睡着，其儿媳表示她已经两天两夜没有休息。孩子出事后，她受了较大的打击，也吃不下饭。
目前袁厉害已经转入了单间普通病房，她的主治医师郭新凤对详细情况进行了介绍。
郭新凤：袁厉害于今天凌晨0点35分左右来到我们医院，当时测血压是200、100毫米汞柱，当时病人头疼头晕，CT头部扫描发现没有较严重的问题。我们现在在做的就是控制血压，把颅压降低。
病人因为几天没有休息好，吃了镇定药之后已经入睡，刚才测血压是160、90毫米汞柱，相对比较稳定，还在逐渐缓慢下降。病人目前没有发现其他的异常。现在关键问题是她说两天没吃东西，另外情绪也比较激动。