Air India Crash Hero: Mother Donates Skin to Save 8-Month-Old Son with Severe Burns

Ahmedabad: Baby Dhyaansh, the youngest survivor of the devastating Air India Flight 171 crash on 12 June, had suffered 36% burns when the aircraft ploughed into the residential quarters of BJ Medical College in Ahmedabad. His mother, Manisha Kachhadiya, who herself sustained 25% burns, not only rescued her son from the raging fire but later offered her skin for grafting to treat his deep burn wounds.

The mother and son were among the few fortunate survivors in the horrific incident that claimed 260 lives — 241 on board and 19 on the ground.

Doctors at KD Hospital, where the pair underwent intensive treatment and reconstructive surgery, said Manisha's donated skin, along with grafts from Dhyaansh’s own body, played a crucial role in healing his third-degree burns.

"Her contribution was not only emotional but also surgical. The grafts helped significantly in the recovery process," said Dr Rutvij Parikh, consultant plastic surgeon.

Both mother and son have now been discharged after five weeks of treatment. Manisha, a homeopath by profession, was at home with Dhyaansh at the time of the crash. Her husband, Kapil Kachhadiya, a urology super-speciality student at BJ Medical College, was at the Civil Hospital when the tragedy struck.

“The heat from the blast caused severe burns even inside the flat. We were lucky they made it out alive,” Kapil said.

The family’s resilience and the mother's act of love have touched hearts nationwide, standing as a poignant testament to parental sacrifice amid catastrophe.