Brain dead woman comes back to life in India after ambulance hits huge pothole on UP highway

Potholes on Indian roads are not new news. Roads across cities are riddled with them and have proved to be a major source of accidents and deaths. However, a woman in Uttar Pradesh got her life back because of a pothole. Vineeta Shukla was declared brain dead and discharged from a Bareilly hospital. Doctors gave her next to no chance of living. However, while returning home via the Bareilly-Haridwar NH-74, the ambulance hit a pothole that shook the entire vehicle. The violent jerk proved to be a lifesaver for Vineeta, who woke up suddenly from the shock. Her husband Kuldeep Kumar Shukla told Times of India that he had told his family to prepare for the last rites, since she was not breathing and her heartbeat was sinking. But the encounter with a large pothole near Hafizganj proved miraculous, as Kuldeep said her breathing instantly returned to normal. He immediately told his family to cancel cremation preparations and rush her to Neurocity Hospital in Pilibhit.

What did the doctors say

The 50-year-old received critical care at the hospital and, after nearly two weeks, returned home. Kuldeep said she "conquered death" and is now talking to everyone. Dr Rakesh Singh, neurosurgeon at Neurocity Hospital, checked back on all her medical data, her physical condition and the diagnosis from the Bareilly hospital. He told the outlet that at the Bareilly hospital, her brainstem reflexes were found to be missing. She was completely unresponsive since her Glasgow Coma Scale had dropped to 3 points, as compared to the normal of 15. She was declared brain dead after her eyes showed mydriasis (dilation of pupils). Her other vitals were also sinking. At Pilibhit, several medical tests showed the presence of heavy neurotoxins in her bloodstream and lymphatic system. Vineeta worked as a senior assistant in the copy section at the judicial courts in Pilibhit and collapsed on February 22 at home and was referred to the Bareilly hospital.