10 hours ago
8-month-old son of doctor youngest AI 171 victim
Ahmedabad: In the avalanche of death and doom triggered by the Air India 171 plane crash, an eight-month-old baby is battling it out in the ICU of a private hospital after he was heroically saved by his mother, who literally ran on fire.
The mother and son were enjoying a quiet afternoon moment when a ball of fire erupted in the second-floor flat as the plane struck their side of the building of the Atulyam residential quarters for super-speciality resident doctors of BJ Medical College.
Dhyaansh is the first-born to a young couple. Dr Kapil is pursuing his super-speciality MCh studies in urology, while Dr Manisha is a homeopathy doctor practising alternative medicine.
The father was on duty in the urology department of Civil Hospital, and the mum, who has not taken up a job to raise the child, was bonding with the baby at home.
Dhyaansh, the youngest to get injured in the AI crash, sustained burns on his face, arms, and legs. "My son sustained nearly 25% burns despite being ensconced in the safety of his mother's embrace. Manisha literally ran over the fire that spread across the flat and building to escape to the ground floor and ended up with 25% burns, with the soles of her feet burnt badly.
She also got burnt on the face and limbs," Dr Kapil told TOI from KD Hospital, where his son and wife are admitted.
The hospital is treating plane crash injury victims.
Dr Kapil said that his family came down from Junagadh to support them in their hour of need. "Manisha is recovering well and has been shifted to the room. She has started taking some meals also. Dhyaansh, however, is still admitted in the ICU, and attending doctors say that his condition is stable.
We are hoping and praying that he is moved out of ICU soon and both mother and child are hale and hearty soon," Dr Kapil said.
Dr Shrenik Shah, head of the urology department in Civil Hospital, said three of his MCh resident doctors suffered emotional setbacks due to the plane crash as they lost their homes and underwent tense moments seeing their families trapped in the fire. "Kapil's wife and child are admitted, while another MCh resident's wife had to be rescued, and another wife, mother, and child were rescued," Dr Shah said.
The department has begun a funding drive with 200-odd alumni to raise funds to help these doctors buy basic amenities to help rehabilitate their families in the aftermath of this tragedy, Dr Shah said.
