The return home of an eight-year-old boy from Rohtak touched doctors and medical staff. The child, who was supported by a ventilator and oxygen for about twenty-three months, managed to win the fight for life.
The father gave up his taxi job to care for his son, while the mother stayed by his side in the hospital for almost two years.
When the child began to recover and prepare for discharge, the entire PICU department experienced strong emotions. The family expressed gratitude to the medical staff, calling their son's return home a new beginning of happiness in his life.
This case occurred at Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma University of Health Sciences (PGIMS) in Rohtak. The boy was first hospitalized on October 5, 2024, when he was only six years old. He was admitted in critical condition, suffering from high fever and being unconscious, unable to move his limbs.
Given his critical condition, the child was placed in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). According to Dr. Kundan Mittal, the boy was on a ventilator and receiving 100% oxygen support for approximately 23 months. During this long period, doctors and nurses provided continuous care, administering medication, as well as physiotherapy and nutritional support. Gradually, the child's condition improved, and he is now able to move his body, leading the doctors to decide on his discharge.
The boy's father, Sombir Dahia, works as a taxi driver in Delhi and is the sole provider for the family. Due to his son's serious illness, he had to leave his job and remain in the hospital. The child's mother monitored him for the past two years.
This period was extremely difficult for the family: they fought not only for their son's life but also with daily needs and financial difficulties associated with the treatment. Dr. Kundan Mittal reported that the team also tried to provide financial assistance to the family alongside the treatment.
Sombir expressed deep gratitude to the doctors and medical staff, noting that he would never forget the care given to his son. He emphasized that if the treatment had required a private clinic for such a long period, the entire family's savings could have been lost. In his opinion, Dr. Kundan Mittal and his team were like a deity to them.
Thanks to his stay in the PICU for about two years, the child became like a family member to the doctors and nurses. The medical staff shared that all department employees celebrated the child's birthday together. Furthermore, the staff sometimes brought food from home for the child's relatives.
As the boy began to recover and prepare to go home, an atmosphere of joy and excitement filled the ward. Father Sombir Dahia thanked the doctors and nurses by kissing their feet. He organized a celebration, cut a cake, distributed sweets, and presented commemorative gifts to the staff as a token of appreciation. The staff also experienced strong emotions seeing the child, whom they had cared for for so long, healthy and returning home.
The university rector, Dr. H.K. Agrawal, highly praised the efforts of Dr. Kundan Mittal and his team regarding the boy's recovery. He noted that watching a critically ill patient recover and go home is the greatest achievement for a doctor.
According to Dr. Mittal, the child's condition is currently stable, and the parents can continue to care for him at home. Follow-up visits will be conducted to monitor his condition. The return home of the boy who fought for his life in the hospital for about 23 months was a joyful and memorable moment not only for his family but also for all the medical staff.