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A 50-year-old woman in Pilibhit who had been declared “brain-dead” and sent home with little hope of survival showed signs of life after an ambulance carrying her hit a pothole on a national highway, prompting doctors to resume treatment that eventually led to her recovery.
The incident occurred on the Bareilly-Haridwar stretch of National Highway 74 near Hafizganj and has triggered local discussion about road conditions as well as what many initially called a “miraculous” recovery.
However, doctors later said the woman’s revival was likely the result of treatment for a suspected toxic insect or snake bite rather than the ambulance jolt itself.
The woman, identified as Vinita Shukla, works as a senior assistant in the copy section of Pilibhit’s judicial courts. According to her family, she fell unconscious at home on 22 February while performing household chores.
Her husband, Kuldeep Shukla, said she had complained of high blood pressure earlier that day and had taken medication before suddenly collapsing. She was first taken to the Autonomous State Medical College in Pilibhit but was referred to a hospital in Bareilly because of her critical condition.
“The family then admitted her to a private hospital in Bareilly, where she remained on ventilator support for three days. Doctors later told the family that she had little chance of survival and discharged her with a referral note,” Kuldeep said.
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He said that on 24 February he was bringing his unconscious wife home in an ambulance and had already informed relatives to prepare for her last rites.
“Near Hafizganj, the ambulance suddenly hit a large pothole and the vehicle shook violently. Shortly afterwards, my wife began breathing normally again,” he said, adding that he immediately asked relatives to halt the funeral preparations.
He then rushed her to Neurocity Hospital in Pilibhit for emergency treatment.
Dr Rakesh Singh, a neurosurgeon at the hospital, said the woman was brought in unconscious but was still breathing faintly.
“During physical examination, we noticed a mark on her leg, suggesting a bite from a venomous snake or insect,” he said, adding that her condition appeared to be linked to neurotoxin poisoning rather than high blood pressure.
He said tests had earlier indicated the absence of brainstem reflexes and that her Glasgow Coma Scale score had dropped to three from the normal level of 15, indicating deep unresponsiveness.
Further medical tests revealed a high presence of neurotoxins in her blood and lymphatic system, the doctor said, adding that targeted treatment eventually led to her recovery after nearly 12 days.
Family members described the incident as nothing short of a miracle, though doctors maintained that the woman’s improvement was the result of timely medical intervention following the suspected toxic bite.
