Woman declared brain dead starts breathing again after ambulance hits pothole
A woman in India who was believed to be “brain dead” shocked her family after she reportedly came back to life while being taken home for her last rites, thanks to a pothole.
The incident happened in Uttar Pradesh, India, involving Vineeta Shukla, who collapsed at home on 22 Feb.
She was first taken to a district hospital before being transferred to a private facility in Bareilly for treatment.
Doctors said she showed no signs of life after hospital admission
According to her family, doctors said her condition was critical and that she showed no signs of movement or response.
Relatives were reportedly told there was almost “no hope of survival”.
Source: NDTV
The family then decided to bring her home on 24 Feb to prepare for her final rites.
Pothole jolt brought her to life
However, while the ambulance was travelling along the Bareilly–Haridwar highway, the vehicle allegedly hit a pothole.
Her husband, Kuldeep Kumar Shukla, said this jolted the ambulance and miraculously brought his wife back to life.
She began breathing again, and he immediately called the family to cancel the funeral arrangements.
Source: Hindustan Times, for illustration purposes only.
The ambulance rushed her to Neurocity Hospital instead.
According to NDTV, she has since recovered and will be discharged after nearly two weeks in hospital.
The story quickly went viral online, with many claiming that the pothole had somehow “brought a brain-dead woman back to life”.
Expert’s explanation of brain death
However, neurologists say that interpretation is highly unlikely.
According to experts, brain death means the complete and irreversible loss of all brain and brainstem functions, including the ability to breathe.
Sudhir Kumar, a neurologist at Apollo Hospitals in Hyderabad, said that once brain death is medically confirmed, recovery is impossible.
“If a patient later begins breathing or shows neurological recovery, it means they were never brain dead to begin with,” Dr Kumar explained.
Patient’s condition might have been similar to brain death
Doctors believe the Pilibhit case may instead have involved a reversible condition that can mimic brain death.
Source: Times of India
These include drug overdose, severe metabolic imbalance, hypothermia, shock or neurotoxic poisoning.
The treating doctor in Pilibhit reportedly suspected a snake bite, which can cause temporary paralysis and suppress breathing.
Some suggested that jolt coincided with patient’s natural recovery
Some experts have also suggested the ambulance jolt may have coincided with the patient’s natural recovery.
Source: @Doc4uKaran on X
Another neurologist, J S Deol, suggested the jolt could theoretically have relieved pressure on the brainstem’s breathing centre, though this remains speculative.
Also read: Man in India declared brain dead after car accident, wakes up during his funeral
Man in India declared brain dead after car accident, wakes up during his funeral
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Featured image adapted from Times of India.
