Bangalore, India — July 2025
When a parent rushes a child to the hospital, they carry not just a body in distress but a heart filled with silent prayers. For one family in Bangalore, their three-year-old daughter’s sudden collapse turned into a terrifying descent — a race against time, life, and fate. But what happened next at Ovum Woman and Child Speciality Hospital, Hoskote, was nothing short of extraordinary.
It’s a story of teamwork, technology, tenacity, and above all, hope.
An Emergency That Changed Everything
She arrived at the Emergency Room unresponsive. Her breathing was shallow, her pulse faint. She had suffered a day of loose stools and respiratory discomfort, but no one expected it to escalate this drastically. Her oxygen saturation had plummeted to 45%, blood pressure was critically low at 70/30 mmHg, and her body showed signs of shock and multiple organ failure.
The emergency response team, led by Dr. Pramod V U, PICU Incharge, and Dr. Somashekhar P V, PICU Consultant, initiated life-saving measures within seconds. Despite their efforts with bag-mask ventilation, her condition worsened. With no time to spare, the team performed rapid sequence intubation, revealing frothy lung secretions — a telltale sign of pulmonary edema.
An urgent bedside ultrasound revealed that her heart was struggling — showing signs of moderate left ventricular dysfunction and fluid overload. A dose of Lasix was administered immediately to help relieve the pressure on her lungs and heart.
She was then transferred to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) — unconscious, intubated, and in critical condition.
The ICU Battle: One Hour at a Time
In the PICU, time slowed and every second counted. She was placed on a mechanical ventilator, and tests revealed severe metabolic acidosis — her pH was so low it was unrecordable, with lactate levels of 9.2 mmol/L, indicating deep cellular distress.
Broad-spectrum antibiotics were started to rule out any infection. But her clinical profile — developmental delays, consanguineous parentage, and a sudden metabolic crash — pointed the doctors toward something rarer, more hidden: a possible mitochondrial disorder.
Thus began the administration of what is called a “metabolic cocktail” — a calculated combination of thiamine, biotin, pyridoxine, riboflavin, Coenzyme Q10, and carnitine — each element aimed at reviving her cellular energy production.
But even as her heart and lungs began to stabilize, another fear loomed large — her brain.
Protecting the Mind: A Neurological Turning Point
The child remained unresponsive, her eyes closed, her body limp. The team called in Dr. Sharath Babu M D, Pediatric Neurologist, to assess and guide neurocritical care.
Dr. Sharath initiated neuroprotective measures, including hypertonic saline to reduce potential brain swelling, alongside ongoing neurological monitoring. His swift evaluation helped anchor a treatment plan that went beyond saving her life — it focused on saving her mind.
What followed was a slow, almost poetic revival.
Signs of Life, Moments of Joy
Over the next two days:
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Her heart regained rhythm.
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Her lungs cleared.
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The ventilator settings were gradually reduced.
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A CPAP trial succeeded.
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She was extubated — breathing, on her own.
And then, a miracle:
She opened her eyes.
She began recognizing her parents, reached out for water, and by Day 4, was back to oral feeds. There was laughter again in the PICU. The team that had fought with science, skill, and sleepless hours — could finally exhale.
The Final Piece of the Puzzle: A Rare Genetic Disorder
With her condition stable, Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) was performed — confirming Mitochondrial Complex III Deficiency, a rare inherited metabolic disorder that interferes with the body’s ability to produce energy.
This discovery solidified the long-term treatment plan: ongoing metabolic therapy, regular follow-ups, and lifestyle modifications to protect her fragile energy pathways.
Discharge Day: A New Beginning
On Day 5, the child was discharged — alert, smiling, feeding well, and surrounded by applause from the medical team who had watched over her like family.
Speaking on the recovery, Dr. Venugopal Reddy, Medical Director of Ovum Group of Hospitals, said:
“This case is a testament to what is possible when excellence meets urgency. Our PICU, neurology, and emergency teams worked as one — to pull this child back from the brink. Ovum is proud to offer this level of care under one roof.”
Beyond the ICU: A Message to Parents and Communities
This story carries a message beyond its medical brilliance. It highlights:
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The importance of early recognition of symptoms, even in common illnesses.
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The power of specialized pediatric care and ICU facilities.
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The need for genetic counseling and awareness in consanguineous families.
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And most importantly, it emphasizes that every life matters — especially the smallest ones.
Ovum Hospitals: Where Little Lives Get a Big Chance
With its commitment to holistic, family-centered care, Ovum Woman and Child Speciality Hospitals has emerged as a leader in maternal and pediatric healthcare in Bangalore. Its teams are not just caregivers — they are warriors of hope, fighting every day for newborns, children, and families.
In this case, they didn’t just treat an illness — they restored a future.
And that’s the real breath of life.
