25-year-old survives fall from 7th floor in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: Being able to walk after falling from their seventh floor apartment at Madhapur is nothing short of a miracle for 25-year-old Mr Suresh (name changed).

While playing with his sister’s children on the evening of December 31, he had lost his balance and fallen from the balcony of the seventh floor to the parking lot below. He was rushed to a super specialty hospital for treatment. His mother Ms Laxmi (name changed) said, “He was lying in a pool of blood in the parking lot. Security and members of the apartment came forward to help and rushed him to the hospital. I was scared and was shivering all the time. My husband was called to the hospital from his place of work and the doctors told us that the next 48 hours were very crucial.”

Mr Suresh had sustained multiple rib fractures, lung injury, spine fractures, shoulder dislocation and other minor injuries.

He works with a software company and the family had a small get-together on New Year’s Eve. While his mother and sister were busy with preparations he was engaging the kids.  Now completely conscious, Mr Suresh only remembers that he slipped and fell. He says, “I just remember the thud sound of my fall. And my mother soothing me in the hospital is the only memory of my coming back.”

What happened to him in the meantime is a story told by the nursing staff and family members. Dr Ghansyam Jagathakar, director of critical care said, “As the lungs were severely injured, oxygen levels had to be maintained, and for that reason he was put on ventilator and heavy medication. But within 48 hours, he stabilised. That was a positive sign and we could plan all the other treatments.”

The ventilator continued for 10 days. He was also on dialysis but that too was removed once his kidney’s started functioning normally. To get him back to his feet, it was important to treat the spine. Dr Srikanth Reddy, consultant neuro-spine surgeon said, “It was important to carry out the surgery without paralysing the patient. Hence we opted for keyhole surgery and the results have been good as he is now walking properly. The doctors have also made him jog and the result is encouraging.”

Mr Suresh says, “For me, it’s a new lease of life. I am very thankful to God as falling from such a height and surviving is indeed a miracle.”

Doctors say that while his young age was in his favour, it is also his luck that that got him back to his feet.