Poonam Nath

Mother's shield saves 8-month-old at Air India IC171 crash

Digital Desk: The moment Air India's IC171 crashed into the residential quarters of BJ Medical College in Ahmedabad on June 12, killing 260 people, Manisha Kachhadiya, a brave mother used her body to protect her eight-month-old son, Dhyaansh, from the flames.

Her only instinct was to shield her baby son, who had been the youngest survivor of the air crash, from the intense heat and dense smoke. In addition to protecting Dhyaansh that day, the mother offered the 8-month-old her skin as a shield while they battled burn injuries.

Manisha and Dhyaansh, who survived the Ahmedabad Boeing 787-8 crash, were released from the hospital last week in a touching tale of survival.

Manisha and Kapil Kachhadiya, a super-specialty MCh student studying urology at BJ Medical College, are the parents of Dhyaansh. When the plane struck the hostel on June 12, Kapil was working at the hospital.

Manisha was hurt in the plane crash, but saving their son came first, Kapil told PTI.

She snatched her son and fled at that horrifying moment. Both mother and child suffered severe burns from the heat, and visibility was almost impossible due to the thick smoke and flames.

"I briefly believed that we wouldn't make it out. But for my child, I had to. We've both experienced pain that words cannot describe," Manish continued.

Manisha's hands and face were 25% burned. Dhyaansh sustained 36% burns to his face, chest, abdomen, and both arms.

Following their hasty arrival at KD Hospital, Dhyaansh was immediately admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). In addition to fluid resuscitation, blood transfusions, and highly specialized care for his injuries, the baby needed ventilator support to breathe.

Doctors said that because of the child's age, his recovery was medically complex.

When skin grafts were needed to help heal his wounds, his mother offered her own, which was one of the most important aspects of his treatment. Manisha literally became her son's shield again when she gave her skin to him.

KD Hospital's managing director, Dr. Adit Desai, called the case "deeply moving."

He also mentioned that six patients impacted by the AI171 plane crash received free medical care at the hospital.

Dr. Rutvij Parikh, a plastic surgeon, told the media how the medical staff treated the child's burn injuries with the highest care.

According to the report, Drs. Snehal Patel, Tushar Patel, and Mansi Dandnaik were part of the medical team that treated the mother and child.

The trauma caused blood to rush into one side of the child's lungs, complicating his condition.

Dr. Snehal Patel stated, "Until we achieved good lung expansion, he was kept on ventilatory support and an intercostal drainage tube was inserted."

Both Dhyaansh and Manisha have now been released from the hospital following five weeks of rigorous care and treatment. To save her son's life, this mother's love defied fate and fire.