Ahmedabad: When Air India flight IC171 crashed into the residential quarters of BJ Medical College in Ahmedabad June 12, killing 260 people, Manisha Kachhadiya had just one instinct – to protect her eight-month-old son, Dhyaansh.
As the Boeing 787-8 aircraft tore through the building, fire and thick smoke engulfed the area. Manisha, with no thought for her own safety, grabbed her baby and shielded him with her body from the flames.
The intense heat left them both with severe burn injuries, but her act of selfless courage helped Dhyaansh become the youngest survivor of the horrific crash.
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Both Manisha and her son were discharged from the hospital last week after a five-week-long battle for life.
Burned but not broken
Manisha is the wife of Dr. Kapil Kachhadiya, a super-speciality student in urology at BJ Medical College. He was on duty at the hospital when the crash took place, unaware that his family was caught in the epicenter of the tragedy.
Manisha told The Times of India that there had been a sudden blackout, and then their residence had filled with unbearable heat.
Despite her injuries, her first instinct was to save her child. She ran through blinding smoke, clutching her baby, unsure if they would survive.
She recalled that there had been a moment when she thought they wouldn’t make it, but she had to try for the sake of her child.
Manisha suffered 25 per cent burns on her face and arms. Dhyaansh had deeper injuries — 36 per cent burns across his face, chest, abdomen, and both arms. He was rushed to KD Hospital and admitted to the pediatric ICU, where he was placed on ventilator support and received critical care, including fluid resuscitation and blood transfusions.
A mother’s gift — her own skin
One of the most remarkable moments in their medical journey came when doctors determined that Dhyaansh needed skin grafts to heal. Manisha didn’t hesitate — she donated her own skin to help her baby recover, once again becoming his literal shield.
The hospital provided free treatment to six crash victims, including Manisha and her son.
Plastic surgeon Dr. Rutvij Parikh explained that using the mother’s skin for the grafts was a delicate but effective decision, especially given the child’s young age. “The recovery has been very encouraging,” he said.
A father’s care in the ICU
While Manisha battled through physical trauma, Kapil, a medical professional himself, played a crucial role in his son’s recovery. “Dr. Kapil ensured his son’s dressings were done meticulously, even late at night,” Dr. Parikh noted.
The team treating the duo included Dr. Snehal Patel, Dr. Tushar Patel, and Dr. Mansi Dandnaik. Dhyaansh’s condition was further complicated by blood collecting in one side of his lungs, which required ventilatory support and an intercostal drainage tube until normal lung function was restored.
After more than a month of intensive treatment, both mother and son were discharged — survivors not just of a crash, but of a test of love and endurance.
PNN & Agencies
