A Chinese man is completely paralyzed after punching an arcade boxing game too hard.
It’s more than likely that we’ve all fed a few dollars into some random arcade machine to kill some time at some point in our lives. Maybe you played a few rounds of vintage Pac-Man while you wait for your laundry to dry. Or, perhaps, you’re like me and toss a few dollars at Police 911 every time you visit a particular local restaurant. If you’re A Zhen from Foshan, China however, you played a round of arcade boxing and are currently regretting it with every fiber of your being.
A few months ago, you see, Zhen (not his real name) decided to stop into an arcade to help pass a little time while his phone underwent repairs. One of the games he played was an interactive boxing title that involves actual punches to a solid target. At one point Zhen delivered a punch that was excessively forceful. He then left and went about his life. Three days later, he woke up completely paralyzed.
According to doctors, the excessive punch combined with a pre-existing congenital stenosis of the cervical spinal canal, led Zhen to injure his spine in a way that left him completely unable to move his mouth and body. He has since had surgery to try and correct his condition, but it has thus far been unsuccessful. Zhen, in turn, now has to rely completely on his family to assist his basic needs. His continued treatment has also led to some hefty medical bill that the arcade apparently has no liability to cover as it posted a warning sign on the game in question.
Source: The Nanfang Insider via Kotaku
Published: Jan 14, 2014 11:30 am