Aarjav Mehta (2.5) lost his balance, fell on debris lying between two buildings and escaped with no major injuries; doctors term his survival 'miraculous'
Aarjav Mehta (2.5) lost his balance, fell on debris lying between two buildings and escaped with no major injuries; doctors term his survival 'miraculous'
Garbage dumped in the city has finally come in handy. Two-and-a-half-year-old Aarjav Mehta fell from the fifth
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lucky: Aarjav Mehta has an ankle injury and a skull fracture, but there is no damage to his brain. PIC/ BIPIN KOKATE |
floor window of his home on February 7 and survived with no major injuries, as his fall was cushioned by a pile of debris lying between two buildings in south Mumbai's crowded Zaveri Bazaar area. Aarjav is presently recuperating at Bombay Hospital at Marine Lines.
On the evening of February 7, Aarjav and his sister Jinam (8) were playing in the living room of their home in Raj Milan building at Mirza Street in Zaveri Bazaar under the watchful eyes of their grandmother, Videhi Mehta. While she left the room, the kids went to their parents' room where the sliding window was open. '
"They opened the window further. And then, Aarjav, who was standing on a table, leaned out of the window to look at something below. He lost his balance and fell from the fifth floor. Jinam came screaming for me, saying Aarjav has fallen," recalled Deepali, his mother.
She added, "When I heard Aarjav had fallen, I went numb. I could neither move nor speak. I was in complete shock."
While the family rushed to the bedroom window, their servant sped to the first floor of the building and jumped to where Aarjav had fallen on a rubbish mound.
"The alignment of our building is such that to reach the spot where Aarjav fell, one has to cross the lane and go around. To save time, my servant jumped from the first floor. That rubbish on a gutter that saved Aarjav's life is cleaned sporadically. Sometimes, all those accumulated plastic bags and papers reach the first floor," explained Deepali.
Aarjav was immediately rushed to the Bombay Hospital and admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. On Monday night, he was moved to the children's ward, the Intensive Care Paediatric Unit (ICPU). Terming the survival as "miraculous," Dr Vinoo Tibrewala, head of the paediatric department of Bombay Hospital, said, "Aarjav is doing fine. The garbage definitely cushioned his fall. He has an ankle injury, a fracture, which should be set with no complications. He had a skull fracture too, but there is no damage to the brain."
He added that, "Aarjav knows what is happening. He was initially a little wary of me, which is normal (laughs); as so many doctors and nurses were examining him, he was scared of them. But he shed his inhibitions and started playing with me."
Deepali says, "All reports, including the MRI are normal. I am thankful for that. Aarjav is playing with toys in the hospital. He is talking and eating normally too. My son survived because of God's grace. I call this a rebirth for him." Aarjav's father, Samkit, who works in a diamond firm, smiled in affirmation.
