She nearly died at 10. After 20 years, she returned and gifted a pen to thank CMC Vellore doctor who had saved her life

Two decades ago, a 10-year-old girl was wheeled into a Hyderabad hospital, barely clinging to life. She was fighting a severe neurological illness, and her terrified parents didn’t know if she would survive. Fast forward twenty years, that same girl—now a confident software engineer—walked back into the doctor’s office with a simple but powerful gift: a fountain pen. What followed was a reunion that left the doctor teary-eyed and the internet deeply moved.

Dr Sudhir Kumar from CMC Vellore shared the story on X, calling it “A Visit After Twenty Years: A Story of Resilience and Medical Miracle.” He recalled how the young girl had been admitted with viral encephalitis and refractory status epilepticus, a condition that had nearly taken her life. Her mother clutched prayer beads and whispered mantras at her bedside while her father stood helpless, silently watching as the child battled for survival.

The following days were touch-and-go. She was placed on a ventilator, given IV medicines, and monitored round the clock in the ICU. Her parents’ fear was overwhelming, especially her mother’s constant worry about whether her daughter would ever return to school. Slowly, the tide turned. The fever eased, her small hands began to move, and eventually she opened her eyes. A faint smile appeared, which Dr Kumar likened to the first rays of the sun after a storm. Weeks later, she was discharged—frail and in a wheelchair, but alive—while her parents wept with gratitude and uncertainty about her future.



Years went by, and the child faded into the background of countless cases. Then, nearly two decades later, a confident young woman walked into Dr Kumar’s OPD in office attire. She carried herself with poise and introduced herself as the same girl who had once been his patient. Now a software engineer supporting her family, she had returned after all those years simply to thank him.

Her thoughtful gift

She then placed a small box on his desk, which held a simple fountain pen. With that gesture, she asked him to continue writing hope into the lives of many more patients. For Dr Kumar, it was a rare full-circle moment. He reflected that doctors seldom get to witness the long-term journeys of those they once saved, but that day he did. In his message to society, he reminded that saving a life goes far beyond medicine—it restores a family’s hope, protects a child’s future, and preserves the dreams of an entire community. He added that while patients may eventually forget the pain of their illness, they never forget the kindness of their doctors.

What is Viral Encephalitis and Refractory Status Epilepticus?

According to the National Library of Medicine, viral encephalitis is a brain inflammation caused by a virus. It is the most common type of encephalitis and often coexists with viral meningitis. The virus usually enters the body outside the central nervous system (CNS) and then travels to the brain and spinal cord either through the blood or by moving backwards along the nerves. Viral encephalitis is seen more often in young people than in the elderly, but environmental factors also play an important role. Many cases go undetected because the symptoms are mild or because proper tests are not available. Research also shows that some people develop antibodies to the virus without showing any symptoms.


The National Institutes of Health (NIH) explains that Refractory Status Epilepticus (RSE) is a serious, life-threatening emergency that needs immediate treatment. It happens when seizures continue even after giving both a first-line and a second-line medicine.