6-yr-old comes out of coma, thanks to music

6-yr-old comes out of coma, thanks to music
Ananthakrishnan G, TNN, Aug 1, 2010, 12.53am IST

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Doctors attending to six-year-old Radhika at Government Medical College Hospital in Kerala’s Alappuzha district never thought she would make it. But unbelievably, the girl, who was ‘‘completely paralysed in an accident while playing has managed to come out of coma in less than two months, thanks to a steady dose of enchanting music.

‘‘I couldn’t believe it,’’ exclaims Dr Girija Mohan, who heads the paediatrics department. It was Dr Mohan’s idea to try music on her. ‘‘She was admitted on May 30 and was put on ventilator for 2-3 days. That improved her breathing but was still comatose. Though we tried all means, there was no further improvement and she was literally like a vegetable. That’s when I thought about ways for neuro-rehabilitation. I searched the Internet and found out literature about music therapy and decided to give it a try.

‘‘So besides the medicines, we played melodious songs set in Carnatic music style including her favourite song on Krishna from a Malayalam film — over a headphone throughout the day for a week. We tried that too.

Miraculously, she started responding to it and then we shifted to an external speaker by her bedside in the ICU. The kid now can move with the help of a walker and responds to queries,’’ said Dr Mohan.

The kid’s mother Manju is overjoyed. ‘‘I had no hope but she now tries to recite those songs which she was made to listen to,’’ she said fighting to hold back tears. Her father Raju, a fish monger, who was finding it hard to foot the bills is now hopeful.

Dr Renjith S Joseph, who assisted Dr Mohan said, ‘‘Recovery in such cases is generally usually extremely remote. The kid was afflicted with quadriplegia, where the patient looses both sensation and control. But what happened to Radhika is just amazing.’’

The tiny tot was playing with her mother’s shawls when one of them fastened around her throat choking her. In medical terms, its called a ‘choking game where the player derives a kind of pleasant sensation,’’ explained Dr Girija. But when the knot tightens, as in the present case, it can lead to a semi-handing state.


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Sopana Sangeetham by Oorakam Padinjaare Marath Krishna Marar

Sopana Sangeetham by Oorakam Padinjaare Marath Krishna Marar

Ashtapadi songs are set in a special raga and tala. It is a rhyme of eternal love and supreme devotion.The literal meaning of "Ashtapadi" is "eight steps". This video features Sri. Krishna Marar, of Padinjaare Marath, Oorakam, singing an ashtapadi praising devi.

Normally, Ashtapadi is sung, when the sanctum sanctorum (i.e the main door, where the presiding deity of temple) is closed for special poojas and decorations. It takes normally, 10 to 15 minutes to perform these special poojas and rituals and normally, the temple artist, will sing a song praising the presiding deity during this period. Since, Sri. Krishna Marar is from Oorakam, this song is dedicated to Devi, as Oorakam temple is famous for a different form of Devi Kanyakumari.

This particular song is very auspicious if one listens to it every day.

It was a long overdue task or dream to capture his singing. As he has retired from his official and temple duties, I invited him to home and he was kind enough to sing a few songs for me to record. A series of his Ashtapadis will be uploaded in the coming days as time permits.

If interested to keep in touch with him, you may contact him at:

Sri. Krishna Marar
Oorakam Padinjaare Marath,
C/o. Sukrutham Charitable Trust,
Kottanellur Post
Vellangallur,
Thrissur District,
Kerala.

Phone: 00 91 944 6777 966