Bareilly miracle: Brain‑dead UP woman shows signs of life after ambulance hits pothole

A family in Uttar Pradesh experienced an astonishing turn of events after a 50-year-old woman, believed to be brain-dead, suddenly showed signs of life during an ambulance journey home.

Vineeta Shukla had been undergoing treatment at a hospital in Bareilly after collapsing at home on 22 February. According to her family, doctors later told them that there was “no hope of survival”. Accepting the grim prognosis, her husband Kuldeep Kumar Shukla decided to take her back home on 24 February, the Times of India reported.

During the journey along the Bareilly–Haridwar stretch of National Highway 74, something unexpected happened.

"I told my family to prepare for her last rites. She was not breathing, there was only a sinking heartbeat.

As the ambulance reached Hafizganj, it struck a large pothole and the vehicle moved violently," her husband told The Times of India on Tuesday.

Moments after the sudden jolt, Kuldeep noticed a dramatic change in his wife’s condition.

"My wife started breathing normally again... I immediately informed my family to suspend all the funeral preparations," he said.

Realising that she was showing signs of recovery, the family rushed Vineeta to Neurocity Hospital in Pilibhit for emergency treatment.

Doctors there reviewed her earlier medical reports before starting treatment. According to neurosurgeon Dr Rakesh Singh, Vineeta had been in a critical neurological state when she was previously examined.

“The examination of her eyes showed mydriasis (dilation of pupils), indicating the death of her brain and constantly sinking signs of life in her.

During a series of quick medical tests, heavy neurotoxins were detected in her bloodstream and lymphatic system. The diagnosis and consequent treatment helped remarkably in her recovery,” the neurosurgeon said.

Following treatment, Vineeta gradually stabilised and was discharged earlier this week. Her husband said she has now returned home and is recovering.

According to the family, Vineeta works as a senior assistant in the copy section at judicial courts in Pilibhit. Before being taken to Bareilly, she was initially admitted to Autonomous State Medical College in Pilibhit, where doctors referred her to a more advanced facility due to her worsening condition.

Now awake and able to speak with her family, Vineeta’s recovery has left her relatives both relieved and astonished.