‘Brain-dead’ India woman starts breathing after ambulance hits pothole

An ambulance ride turned into an extraordinary moment of survival for a 50-year-old woman from Uttar Pradesh, whose family had already begun preparing for her funeral after doctors declared there was virtually no hope of recovery.

Vineeta Shukla, a resident of Pilibhit, had been discharged from a hospital in Bareilly after doctors found no brainstem reflexes and believed she had little chance of survival. But while her husband was bringing her home on February 24, the ambulance hit a pothole on the Bareilly-Haridwar National Highway (NH-74), triggering a sudden jolt that appeared to revive her breathing.

What happened next stunned her grieving family.

“I told my family to prepare for her last rites. She was not breathing, there was only a sinking heartbeat. As the ambulance reached Hafizganj, it struck a large pothole and the vehicle moved violently,” her husband told The Times of India on Tuesday.

The impact, he said, was followed by an unexpected sign of life.

“My wife started breathing normally again... I immediately informed my family to suspend all the funeral preparations,” he said.

Kuldeep then rushed his wife to Neurocity Hospital in Pilibhit for emergency treatment.

After undergoing critical medical care there, Vineeta gradually recovered and returned home on Monday. She has now regained consciousness and is speaking with family members.

“Conquered her death,” Kuldeep said of his wife’s recovery, adding, “she is now not just awake, but talking to us...”

Doctors at Neurocity Hospital said they first reviewed her earlier diagnosis before beginning treatment.

Dr Rakesh Singh, a neurosurgeon at the hospital, said he conducted a thorough inquiry into Vineeta’s physical condition and diagnosis with doctors from the Bareilly hospital before starting treatment.

According to Singh, the earlier medical assessment indicated severe neurological impairment.

Based on the medical information, Singh said that the brainstem reflexes of Vineeta were found absent in the Bareilly-based hospital, while her Glasgow Coma Scale dropped to three points against the normal level of 15 points, indicating complete unresponsiveness.

“The examination of her eyes showed mydriasis (dilation of pupils), indicating the death of her brain and constantly sinking signs of life in her. During a series of quick medical tests, heavy neurotoxins were detected in her bloodstream and lymphatic system. The diagnosis and consequent treatment helped remarkably in her recovery,” the neurosurgeon said.

Family members said Vineeta, who works as a senior assistant in the copy section at the judicial courts in Pilibhit, suddenly fainted on the evening of February 22 while doing household work.

She was first taken to Autonomous State Medical College in Pilibhit. From there, doctors referred her to an advanced medical facility in Bareilly, where her condition deteriorated and doctors reportedly gave little hope of survival before she was discharged.