5 years and 11 surgeries later, Mumbai girl with a severe brain injury dances her way back to life

Five years and 11 surgeries later, a Mumbai girl who suffered from a serious brain injury after a road accident got back on her feet to pursue what she was passionate about the most - Bharatanatyam.

A team headed by Dr Vishwanathan Iyer, a veteran neurosurgeon at the Kohinoor Hospital in Mumbai, performed a craniotomy on 24-year-old Nirmohi Anil recently, following which she resumed her daily routine and also her love for Bharatanatyam after a 5-year pause.

In 2015, Nirmohi met with a ghastly road accident while on her way to a restaurant near her home in Mumbai's Kalina area that severely injured her brain. She had even slipped into a coma and was on the ventilator for 45 days.

She was rushed to a local nursing home for initial first aid care and was later shifted to Kohinoor Hospital after her condition deteriorated.

Dr Iyer said that on her arrival, Nirmohi was unconscious and had slipped into a coma.

"We performed a surgery to remove the clots and bones on both sides of the skull. Over the years, she underwent 11 different surgeries to replace the bone flap and to treat water accumulation in the brain. She had been advised to take speech therapy and physiotherapy. Now, the patient is fine and has started her daily routine activities," he said.

Thanking the doctors for helping her daughter recover and get back to normal life, Swati Anil said, "We are happy that our daughter received proper treatment over 5 years at Kohinoor Hospital and now she will be able to live a normal life like others. She is back at home and has started doing Bharatanatyam like earlier." She said that Nirmohi was able to deal with the injury due to her willpower and that they were determined to do what it took to save her life. "My daughter is brave and never gives up," Swarti added.

While mentioning what is imperative in such cases, Dr Iyer said, “If a person meets with an accident, it is essential to give him first aid at the right time -- within 1-2 hours. One with a brain injury will take time to deal with it. But remember, one will need the family’s support during the course of the treatment.”