After 11 Surgeries, Dancer With Head Injuries Gets Her Regular Life Back

Life can be unpredictable, and it makes that known. For a 24-year-old Mumbai-resident Nirmohi Anil, a regular college student and a Bharatanatyam dancer, this reminder came in the form of an accident in March 2015.

Nirmohi was going to a restaurant when she met with a road accident at Kalina near her house. She was taken to a local nursing home after the accident for initial first aid care and was later shifted to Kohinoor Hospital as her condition became increasingly critical. “We were petrified and broke down after the news of Nirmohi’s accident. But we were determined to do what it takes to save her life,” says her mother, Swati Anil.

In the care of a team headed by Dr Vishwanathan Iyer, Neurosurgeon at Kohinoor Hospital, she underwent a craniotomy to save her from the effects of the fatal incident. However, she slipped into a coma, to remain on the ventilator for 45 days owing to serious injuries to her head.

Dr Iyer, her Neurosurgeon at Kohinoor Hospital says, “On arrival, she was unconscious and went into a coma. Her family was shocked to know about her injury. We performed surgery to remove the clots and bone in both the sides of skull. Over 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 started her daily routine.”

Nirmohi is now able to divert her energies to her passion of Bharatanatyam again. Dr Iyer believes it is a misconception that patients with a traumatic brain injury cannot lead a normal life. If a person who has met with an accident, it is essential that first aid care is provided within the first couple of hours. It is also important to keep one’s patience with a head injury as it takes time to heal.

“We are happy that our daughter received proper treatment over five years at and now will be able to lead a normal life. She is brave and never gives up. She was able to deal with the injury due to her willpower. She is back at home and has started doing Bharatanatyam like earlier. We can never stop thanking her doctors for helping her,” Swati concludes.