Trigger warning: Mention of accident, physical injury and trauma.
“You inspire us.”
“If you could do it, I can too.”
“I can walk again because of you.”
These are gratifying things to hear. And Dr Sakshi Maheshwari’s day is flooded with them. The 27-year-old is ‘hope in human form’ for her patients at the Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad; they see her as the reason for a new lease on life, heralding her a miracle worker.
Sakshi is no stranger to this feeling. After all, it was only seven years ago that she looked at her surgeons through the same lens when she spent months at the Manipal Hospital after a life-threatening accident.
As she sits down with The Better India to recall “one of the toughest phases of her life”, she finds it almost impossible to relive the details. This is due to two reasons — in the aftermath of the accident, Sakshi was unconscious for 20 days and the things she does remember are almost too painful to reminisce about.
Each time Sakshi revisits and her carefree life before it, it is almost like knocking on an old friend’s door, but one who isn’t home anymore. You see, a new Sakshi was reborn following the accident — ‘Sakshi 2.0’, as her mother calls it — and this version is here to stay.
The journey from being a second-year MBBS student who met with a horrifying accident leaving her with multiple broken bones to now being a practising orthopaedic surgeon has been a telling one.
“A 10% chance of survival,” her doctors had declared. But it was Sakshi’s willpower that contested this statistic. And this is her story.
In their Ahmedabad home, Sakshi’s parents, Sneha and Satish, were going about their usual routine when the phone rang with the news of their daughter’s accident. Numbed, they immediately made arrangements to travel to Karnataka. The memory is blurry, says her mother as she recounts their shock on arrival at the hospital. had left their daughter with multiple injuries that extended to her upper limbs, lower limbs, chest and head.
Even though Sakshi’s treatment on paper spanned 20 days in the ICU, six months in post-operative care along with two years of intensive physiotherapy, in reality, the family is still recuperating.
Dr Sakshi Maheshwari, an orthopaedic surgeon with her family, Picture source: Sakshi
When you hit rock bottom the only way is up, suggests a popular adage. And the months that sequelled Sakshi’s accident are an embodiment of this.
Getting discharged from the hospital was half the battle won, but the war awaited. “Though I was a at the time, it was tough to wrap my head around the extent of my injuries and the long-term complications that would follow. The only thing I knew was that the road ahead was set to be a long and difficult one,” recounts Sakshi.
Sakshi met with a life-threatening accident that left her with multiple broken bones, Picture source: Sakshi
She shares how questions like will I ever get back to my normal self, do the things that I used to do, or be as functional as people around me and what is my future going to look like were always on her mind.
But every time doubt took centre stage, she toughened her resolve to overcome it, thinking to herself ‘I can do this’.
And this spark of hope kept her dreams alive.
As in the case of any race, cheerleaders are essential. “And I had invaluable ones,” says Sakshi referring to her mother, father, sister and grandparents.
While they ensured they were positive when around her, it was easier said than done.
As Sneha points out, watching one’s child in pain is one of the most difficult things to go through as a parent. “Every day came with . I broke down many times seeing the pain she was in. It was heartbreaking to watch an all-rounder and multi-talented girl not even being able to sit, stand or hold anything. The initial days were so tough that I was unable to think or comprehend anything. I would simply follow the instructions given to me.”
Sakshi underwent more than 20 surgeries to fix her injuries and she says recovery is still on, Picture source: Sakshi
It was against the backdrop of this challenging scene that Sakshi announced her decision to continue her MBBS studies. Everyone was taken aback, particularly her friends, colleagues and professors, she says, who thought she wouldn’t resume studies so quickly.
But in hindsight, she feels it was the right decision. “It accelerated my recovery process,” she says.
Getting Sakshi on her feet took a village. Everyone played their part well, she notes, adding that her dad formed a core of . “He would set mini goals for me,” she explains.
Sakshi goes on to share an anecdote of the time she had just started to use the walker. “It was very painful. I could hardly go out of the room before wanting to give up and get back to bed. But my dad made a rule that as soon as I felt like giving up, I would take five more steps and then make a U-turn back to the room.”
These small motivations made Sakshi’s recovery easier.
Watching Sakshi’s journey unravel has been all-inspiring to many, particularly her sister Isha, who looks up to her as a role model. “Not many younger siblings get the opportunity to see their elder siblings grow up in front of them. I salute her willpower and I often tell her that she is the main character of my life!”
Isha smiles as she remembers the day her didi (elder sister) got admission into the department at the BJ Medical College, Ahmedabad. “I baked a cake and we celebrated it like a festival!” she exclaims.
Adversity had taught the family to cherish the small wins. “I remember the first time after the accident when my sister was able to open the cap on the toothpaste tube and brush her teeth by herself,” Isha continues.
But the memory that eclipses all others for Isha is the day Sakshi took her first steps without support. “For us, it was equivalent to a toddler taking their first steps. We screamed in joy and danced!”
She argues that while these might seem small feats to others, they were equal to for the family. And Sakshi agrees, adding that their support was unparalleled.
Sakshi’s treatment spanned 20 days in the ICU, six months in post-operative care and two years of physiotherapy, Picture source: Sakshi
Today as she attempts to be the same support for her patients, she looks back at how the dots connected leading her to this point; at how the complexities were stepping stones in disguise.
“The accident and the experience that followed were a big contributor to my decision to pursue orthopaedics. I had watched my surgeons work tirelessly to help me recover and it was nothing short of a miracle. I wanted to be able to do the same for others,” she says, going on to praise her neurosurgeon, Dr Girish Menon, who she cites as her biggest motivator.
As for whether those questions that baffled her all those years ago have been answered now, she says, “Eventually I decided that my life couldn’t stop, neither could I allow my dreams to get smaller because of what happened. I promised myself that I would never settle for a lesser life.”
Sakshi has forged for herself. Her story is a beacon for anyone, a medical student or otherwise, who is struggling.
“Don’t make giving up an option,” she urges. “Instead, use whatever you are going through to lead a more fuller life.”
In the years following the accident, Sakshi has found peace in running and has participated in many marathons, Picture source: Sakshi
Borrowing from her own experience, she says, “Every morning when I wake up, I don’t think back to the day before and all the things I wasn’t able to do. Instead, I look forward to what I can achieve today.”
But, she points out, profound change comes only when you decide to let it. “When I was in a wheelchair and would see people walking, I would often think to myself that they were so lucky. It makes me realise how we only understand the importance of something when it is taken away from us.”
She adds, “My incident has made me more , more connected with my family and more believing in the fact that there is a greater force that has the power to get you through your toughest phases.”
Sakshi Maheshwari’s story is a message for every person who is going through a difficult time that persistence is key to success, Picture source: Sakshi
Looking ahead at a busy day filled with surgeries and patient consultations, Sakshi feels incredible about the life she has been blessed with.
“During my recovery phase, I remember times when I would look at my scarred hands, which I couldn’t even move, and imagine holding a scalpel in them. The desire was so strong. Today, whenever I have moments of doubt, I look at my hands again, admiring how they supported my dreams.”
The operation theatre is where she feels most confident, she says.
Each day as she readies herself for surgery gazing at the patient whose pain she knows she is about to relieve, she smiles. “Life has indeed come full circle. This is where I belong.”
Edited by Padmashree Pande.
“You inspire us.”
“If you could do it, I can too.”
“I can walk again because of you.”
These are gratifying things to hear. And Dr Sakshi Maheshwari’s day is flooded with them. The 27-year-old is ‘hope in human form’ for her patients at the Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad; they see her as the reason for a new lease on life, heralding her a miracle worker.
Sakshi is no stranger to this feeling. After all, it was only seven years ago that she looked at her surgeons through the same lens when she spent months at the Manipal Hospital after a life-threatening accident.
As she sits down with The Better India to recall “one of the toughest phases of her life”, she finds it almost impossible to relive the details. This is due to two reasons — in the aftermath of the accident, Sakshi was unconscious for 20 days and the things she does remember are almost too painful to reminisce about.
Each time Sakshi revisits and her carefree life before it, it is almost like knocking on an old friend’s door, but one who isn’t home anymore. You see, a new Sakshi was reborn following the accident — ‘Sakshi 2.0’, as her mother calls it — and this version is here to stay.
The journey from being a second-year MBBS student who met with a horrifying accident leaving her with multiple broken bones to now being a practising orthopaedic surgeon has been a telling one.
“A 10% chance of survival,” her doctors had declared. But it was Sakshi’s willpower that contested this statistic. And this is her story.
A call that changed many lives
In their Ahmedabad home, Sakshi’s parents, Sneha and Satish, were going about their usual routine when the phone rang with the news of their daughter’s accident. Numbed, they immediately made arrangements to travel to Karnataka. The memory is blurry, says her mother as she recounts their shock on arrival at the hospital. had left their daughter with multiple injuries that extended to her upper limbs, lower limbs, chest and head.
Even though Sakshi’s treatment on paper spanned 20 days in the ICU, six months in post-operative care along with two years of intensive physiotherapy, in reality, the family is still recuperating.
Dr Sakshi Maheshwari, an orthopaedic surgeon with her family, Picture source: Sakshi
When you hit rock bottom the only way is up, suggests a popular adage. And the months that sequelled Sakshi’s accident are an embodiment of this.
Getting discharged from the hospital was half the battle won, but the war awaited. “Though I was a at the time, it was tough to wrap my head around the extent of my injuries and the long-term complications that would follow. The only thing I knew was that the road ahead was set to be a long and difficult one,” recounts Sakshi.
Sakshi met with a life-threatening accident that left her with multiple broken bones, Picture source: Sakshi
She shares how questions like will I ever get back to my normal self, do the things that I used to do, or be as functional as people around me and what is my future going to look like were always on her mind.
But every time doubt took centre stage, she toughened her resolve to overcome it, thinking to herself ‘I can do this’.
And this spark of hope kept her dreams alive.
As in the case of any race, cheerleaders are essential. “And I had invaluable ones,” says Sakshi referring to her mother, father, sister and grandparents.
While they ensured they were positive when around her, it was easier said than done.
As Sneha points out, watching one’s child in pain is one of the most difficult things to go through as a parent. “Every day came with . I broke down many times seeing the pain she was in. It was heartbreaking to watch an all-rounder and multi-talented girl not even being able to sit, stand or hold anything. The initial days were so tough that I was unable to think or comprehend anything. I would simply follow the instructions given to me.”
Sakshi underwent more than 20 surgeries to fix her injuries and she says recovery is still on, Picture source: Sakshi
It was against the backdrop of this challenging scene that Sakshi announced her decision to continue her MBBS studies. Everyone was taken aback, particularly her friends, colleagues and professors, she says, who thought she wouldn’t resume studies so quickly.
But in hindsight, she feels it was the right decision. “It accelerated my recovery process,” she says.
From being unable to hold a pen to securing a distinction
Getting Sakshi on her feet took a village. Everyone played their part well, she notes, adding that her dad formed a core of . “He would set mini goals for me,” she explains.
Sakshi goes on to share an anecdote of the time she had just started to use the walker. “It was very painful. I could hardly go out of the room before wanting to give up and get back to bed. But my dad made a rule that as soon as I felt like giving up, I would take five more steps and then make a U-turn back to the room.”
These small motivations made Sakshi’s recovery easier.
Watching Sakshi’s journey unravel has been all-inspiring to many, particularly her sister Isha, who looks up to her as a role model. “Not many younger siblings get the opportunity to see their elder siblings grow up in front of them. I salute her willpower and I often tell her that she is the main character of my life!”
Isha smiles as she remembers the day her didi (elder sister) got admission into the department at the BJ Medical College, Ahmedabad. “I baked a cake and we celebrated it like a festival!” she exclaims.
Adversity had taught the family to cherish the small wins. “I remember the first time after the accident when my sister was able to open the cap on the toothpaste tube and brush her teeth by herself,” Isha continues.
But the memory that eclipses all others for Isha is the day Sakshi took her first steps without support. “For us, it was equivalent to a toddler taking their first steps. We screamed in joy and danced!”
She argues that while these might seem small feats to others, they were equal to for the family. And Sakshi agrees, adding that their support was unparalleled.
Sakshi’s treatment spanned 20 days in the ICU, six months in post-operative care and two years of physiotherapy, Picture source: Sakshi
Today as she attempts to be the same support for her patients, she looks back at how the dots connected leading her to this point; at how the complexities were stepping stones in disguise.
“The accident and the experience that followed were a big contributor to my decision to pursue orthopaedics. I had watched my surgeons work tirelessly to help me recover and it was nothing short of a miracle. I wanted to be able to do the same for others,” she says, going on to praise her neurosurgeon, Dr Girish Menon, who she cites as her biggest motivator.
As for whether those questions that baffled her all those years ago have been answered now, she says, “Eventually I decided that my life couldn’t stop, neither could I allow my dreams to get smaller because of what happened. I promised myself that I would never settle for a lesser life.”
‘Giving up was never on the cards.’
Sakshi has forged for herself. Her story is a beacon for anyone, a medical student or otherwise, who is struggling.
“Don’t make giving up an option,” she urges. “Instead, use whatever you are going through to lead a more fuller life.”
In the years following the accident, Sakshi has found peace in running and has participated in many marathons, Picture source: Sakshi
Borrowing from her own experience, she says, “Every morning when I wake up, I don’t think back to the day before and all the things I wasn’t able to do. Instead, I look forward to what I can achieve today.”
But, she points out, profound change comes only when you decide to let it. “When I was in a wheelchair and would see people walking, I would often think to myself that they were so lucky. It makes me realise how we only understand the importance of something when it is taken away from us.”
She adds, “My incident has made me more , more connected with my family and more believing in the fact that there is a greater force that has the power to get you through your toughest phases.”
Sakshi Maheshwari’s story is a message for every person who is going through a difficult time that persistence is key to success, Picture source: Sakshi
Looking ahead at a busy day filled with surgeries and patient consultations, Sakshi feels incredible about the life she has been blessed with.
“During my recovery phase, I remember times when I would look at my scarred hands, which I couldn’t even move, and imagine holding a scalpel in them. The desire was so strong. Today, whenever I have moments of doubt, I look at my hands again, admiring how they supported my dreams.”
The operation theatre is where she feels most confident, she says.
Each day as she readies herself for surgery gazing at the patient whose pain she knows she is about to relieve, she smiles. “Life has indeed come full circle. This is where I belong.”
Edited by Padmashree Pande.