The family of Nilam Shinde, the 35-year-old woman who is in a coma in a California hospital after a road accident, visited her on Monday after getting an emergency visa last week. They also met the hospital authorities and officials from her university. 

According to a family member, she is still in a coma but is showing signs of improvement. The pressure on her brain has reduced, and she underwent a surgery after our consent, her uncle, Sanjay Kadam, told NDTV.

Ms Shinde, a post-graduate student at California State University, was hit by a four-wheeler on February 14. She suffered a traumatic brain injury that left her comatose, besides fractures and injuries to her chest, arms and legs. She has been admitted to the UC Davis Medical Center near Sacramento. 

Her family in Maharashtra’s Satara learnt of the accident on February 16 and applied for a visa to be with her. However, they said the visa interview slot they got was for next year. 

Ms Shinde’s family then made a desperate appeal to the Centre, which was then amplified by Maharashtra politician Supriya Sule and media houses last week.

After the tragic situation made headlines, they got the emergency visa from the US embassy last Friday and flew from Mumbai to the US on Sunday.

“When we first came here (Embassy), nobody entertained us. They in fact told us that the police would take us away if we kept waiting here. We then went back home… We thought we would not see her. For many days, we tried to get an interview, but nothing came up. We are thankful to the media. Because of the media and the government, the process was smooth,” Ms Shinde’s cousin said after getting the visa.

The family members have been accommodated next to the hospital by Ms Shinde’s University.

Local police are investigating the accident, and the driver of the vehicle that hit Ms Shinde has been arrested. The family said their priority is to ensure she gets proper treatment and recovers, and then they will take legal action.

Ms Shinde earned her bachelor’s in Computer Science from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a master’s in Data Analytics from San Jose State University. She is currently a fourth-year student at California State University.