They haven’t given up hope but are worried after five-year-old Monisha’s condition worsened in the last 24 hours. She is on the ventilator in the ICU of M S Ramaiah Hospital.
“Monisha has been suffering persistent convulsions because of hypoxic encephalopathy (less oxygen reaching the brain). This could be due to the strangulation. We do not know if she has a prior history of fits. But hypoxic injury to the brain manifests in seizures. Sometimes it takes time to express, as in the case of Monisha,” said Dr Karunakara B P, associate professor of paediatrics, M S Ramaiah Hospital.
Dr Karunkara along with Dr P T Acharya, neurologist, MSR Hospital has been monitoring Monisha’s condition since the time she was admitted in the hospital on Tuesday after she survived an alleged murder attempt by her mother Sudha, who strangulated her before hanging herself. Monisha’s father Nagesh had reportedly hung himself on the same day. On Thursday Monisha asked her aunt, (Sudha’s sister) to get her a masala dosa, but by the time she could get it, the child’s condition worsened and she started having persistent convulsions. “We tried to stop the seizures through medicines but it didn’t help. Finally we had to put her on the ventilator. She has not shown any sign of improvement. Her condition is critical,” said the doctor.
He added that because of the attempted strangulation, Monisha’s spinal cord has been injured and she has weakness in her hands and limbs.
“She was admitted to the hospital with convulsions but had improved. In fact, we had planned for her MRI scan, but from Thursday afternoon her condition regressed. She is critical and there’s threat to her life. We cannot say how long she will be in this state,” said Dr Acharya.
The team of doctors attending on her said their primary concern is to control her seizures. “Her limb weakness can be addressed through physiotherapy,” said the neurologist.
Dr Karunakara said that Monisha has suffered immense mental and emotional trauma. “She would tell me that her mother tried to strangulate her and break into tears. But now she is unconscious. She will need longtime psychiatric intervention once she comes round the corner,” he said.
Monisha’s maternal grand parents and her uncles and aunt visit the child on and off. The grand father said he would take care of her. But she’s now incommunicado.
Hope only for now.