Boy, 19, in India declared brain dead after road accident, comes back to life as family prepares funeral

Believing that their son had died from injuries sustained in a car accident, the family of a 19-year-old boy in India started preparations for his funeral.

The funeral plans were abruptly thrown off when the boy began moving and coughing, appearing to have returned from death.

The 'miracle'

The apparent miracle took place in a city in Maharashtra, India.

The boy, Bhau Lachke, sustained critical injuries in a road accident several days before the incident, The Indian Witness reported on Sep. 5.

He was admitted to a private hospital, where he was later declared brain dead by doctors, according to NDTV.

Hearing this, his heartbroken family began preparing for his funeral, thinking that there was no hope for his recovery, News18 wrote.

Things took a dramatic turn when, as preparations were underway, the boy started coughing and moving.

The boy's family immediately transferred him to the district hospital, where he was placed on a ventilator.

His condition remains serious and is being monitored closely.

Hospital alleges misunderstanding

The family alleged that the private hospital had gravely misdiagnosed the boy's condition, but the hospital has called it a misunderstanding on part of the family, reported The Indian Witness.

According to News18, the hospital's management claimed the boy was never declared brain dead and suggested that the family was confused over medical terminologies.

Local authorities have launched an investigation into the incident.

"We thought we had lost him, but this feels like a miracle. We just want him to get better," the boy's relative told The Indian Witness.

Brain death in Singapore

Brain death occurs when blood flow and oxygen to the brain have stopped, leading to an irreversible loss of brain functions, according to the National University of Health.

When a patient is certified brain dead, it means there is an irreversible cessation of all functions of the brainstem.

Such a patient will never recover.

Death of a person is determined through either brain death or cardiac death.

In Singapore, under the Interpretation Act, a person is considered to have died when there is either an irreversible cessation of blood circulation and respiration or a total and irreversible cessation of all functions of the brain.

Top image via Narayana Funeral Services, Canva