Indian student battles for life after car crash in US
Darpan News Desk IANS, 29 Nov, 2022 01:37 PM
New York, Nov 29 (IANS) An Indian student has been battling for life in a hospital after a car accident in New Jersey, the US, earlier this month that left him with a traumatic brain injury and several fractured ribs.
Vinamra Sharma, a student of New Jersey Institute of Technology, was "knocked unconscious" as he made his way home from the university campus on November 12.
He was rushed to Rutgers University Hospital, where he was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury, a GoFundMe page, set up in Sharma's support, said Abhishek Sharma, who organised the GoFundMe initiative.
"He has been taken off a ventilator but still suffers from brain swelling due to multiple surgeries he has undergone in the last week," Abhishek added.
The page informed that within 10 days of the accident, Sharma has undergone four brain surgeries and is in the intensive care unit, hooked up to IVs and life support systems.
Back home in India, Sharma's parents are anxiously waiting for their US visa to be approved.
"We hope and pray that Vinamra will be out of the woods soon and begin his long road to recovery. At the moment, his treatment is focused on getting him to live. If he makes it, the focus of his treatment can shift to addressing the cognitive and physical mobility challenges," the page said.
Sharma's health insurance does not cover accident expenses, and he does not have auto insurance (he does not drive).
His current in-hospital expenses include doctor, surgeon and specialist consultations, ICU services, medical exams and miscellaneous hospital fees.
As of now, nearly $72,199 have been raised from the crowdfunding initiative, which will be transferred directly to the student's family.
One person was killed and another injured during a shooting which took place in the parking lot of a store in the US state of Pennsylvania, authorities said.
Six Sikhs were killed in the August 5, 2012, attack in which four people, including a police officer, were injured and one person died last year from the wounds sustained in the shooting.
U.S.-based Novavax partnered with the Serum Institute of India to apply in the three countries, and plans later this month to also seek the World Health Organization review needed to be part of the COVAX global vaccine program.
The Biden administration has kept in place travel restrictions that have severely curtailed international trips to the U.S., citing the spread of the delta variant of the virus. Under the rules, non-U.S. residents who have been to China, the European Schengen area, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Brazil, South Africa and India in the prior 14 days are prohibited from entering the U.S.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control last week warned the Delta variant of the virus is so contagious, vaccinated people who do get infected could be just as big a risk to others as people who aren't vaccinated.
