India’s oldest author recovers and urges others to take vaccine
A 102-year-old great-grandmother in India who recovered from Covid-19 urged people to get vaccinated against the disease.
Susheela Pathak, India’s oldest living author, became infected early last month during a deadly second wave in the country and spent more than two weeks in intensive care.
She lives in Mumbai with her grandchildren and greatgrandchildren and her family believes she contracted the disease from an asymptomatic caregiver.
Pathak tested positive for Covid-19 days after receiving her first dose of Covaxin, but believes inoculation is the best way to tackle the pandemic.
“Get vaccinated. I recovered and so will you. God will protect you and keep you healthy,” Pathak said.
Her family said her recovery was inspirational. One of her grandsons, Dr Sujit Bopardikar, a dentist in Mumbai, isolated with his grandmother so he could take care of her.
Her initial symptoms included fatigue and fever, but things took a turn for the worse when she developed breathing difficulties and lost her appetite.
The family drove her to hospital after they failed to find an ambulance to take her.
Pathak was admitted to an intensive care unit and treated with medication and plasma therapy.
After 10 days she was on her way to recovery and celebrated her 102nd birthday with hospital staff, who brought a cake to mark the occasion.
“My grandmother was in the hospital for 15 days, but now she has defeated the virus and is back home,” said Dr Bopardikar.
“She is weak but will be strong again soon. We never gave up hope, we never thought that she would not recover. Our hope and her will to live are the reasons she recovered.
“Do not be afraid of this virus. Listen to doctors and defeat this virus.”
Pathak’s younger grandson, Dr Abhijit Bopardikar, said her recovery should be an inspiration to all.
“If a 102-year-old woman can recover, anyone can,” he said.
India reported 368,147 new cases yesterday as the country’s healthcare system struggles to cope with the surge.
In areas such as Mumbai, hospitals are full and there is a severe shortage of oxygen.
Pathak’s family, which includes three grandchildren and five great-grandchildren, urged people in India to take the virus seriously and spoke about the importance of seeking medical help fast.
“Timely medical help is crucial,” said Dr Vijaya Bopardikar, who is married to one of Pathak’s grandsons and has lived with her for 20 years.
“The doctors immediately started her on medications and once she was stable, her parameters started getting better. People have been careless.”
Dr Vijaya Bopardikar said people sometimes did not act quickly enough after they developed symptoms and it was difficult to recover lost time.
“People think that getting Covid-19 is a stigma,” she said.
“They have symptoms but they say it’s nothing. They need to understand that the initial days are crucial.
“My husband and I were saved by the vaccine.”
Dr Vijaya Bopardikar said Pathak was a stickler for discipline and ate healthy food, which helped her to heal.
She believes Pathak’s love of writing and reading keeps her alert and her dementia at bay.
Pathak wrote books in Marathi, a language spoken predominantly in Maharashtra state, about food, faith and folklore. She also wrote children’s stories.
She wrote her fourth book, Great Grandma’s Kitchen Secrets, at the age of 96 and has been working on her fifth.
Every night she sits with her family and tells stories. She has many tales to tell and can discuss subjects such as India’s struggle to gain independence from Britain.
“We call our aaji [grandmother] ‘the phoenix’ in our family and she is quite an inspiration for us and many who know her resilience and willpower,” said Dr Vijaya Bopardikar. “She has a zeal for life, and storytelling and cooking are her passion.
“She loves to read and write and never gives up.”