• Woman regains breath after ambulance hits a pothole
• Rare survival marked the incident

A 50-year-old Indian woman’s ambulance ride turned miraculous after doctors at Bareilly Hospital had prepared her family for the worst, declaring her chances of survival almost nonexistent.

Sources said Vinita Shukla, a resident of Pilibhit, had been discharged from the hospital after doctors confirmed no brainstem activity and considered her life at severe risk.

However, while returning home in the ambulance, the vehicle hit a pothole on the highway, delivering a jolt that appeared to restart her breathing.

Her husband, Kuldeep, said: “I had already told my family to prepare for her funeral. She wasn’t breathing, and her pulse was extremely weak. When the ambulance hit a large pothole in Havizgang, it jolted violently, and suddenly my wife began breathing normally.”

He added: “I immediately informed my family to stop all funeral preparations.”

Vinita was rushed to Neurosity Hospital in Pilibhit for emergency care, where she began receiving intensive treatment and gradually regained consciousness. She returned home on Monday and spoke again with her family.

Her husband said: “She has overcome death; she is now awake and talking to us.”

Doctors at the hospital reviewed her previous diagnosis before beginning treatment. Neurosurgeon Dr. Rakesh Singh conducted a thorough assessment of Vinita’s case in coordination with doctors at Bareilly Hospital, noting that her prior medical evaluation had indicated severe neurological deterioration.

Dr. Singh confirmed the absence of brainstem reflexes and that her Glasgow Coma Scale score had dropped to three from an original 15, indicating complete unresponsiveness.

Eye examinations showed pupil dilation consistent with brain death, along with the presence of neurotoxins in her blood and lymphatic system, but intensive treatment led to remarkable recovery.

Vinita, who works as a senior assistant in the court transcription department in Pilibhit, had collapsed suddenly on the evening of February 22 while performing household tasks.

She was initially taken to the Government Medical College in Pilibhit, then transferred to a specialized hospital in Bareilly where her condition deteriorated, and doctors had feared she would not survive before she was discharged.