Injured nurse is flown home thanks to Maltese donations

A nurse has been airlifted home to India thanks to generous donations from the Maltese public, after she was hit by a car in an accident that killed her unborn child. Tonamol Baby, 29, was five months pregnant and on her way to work when she was struck by a car on July 16 while crossing the road near Mount Carmel Hospital.

She suffered serious injuries and underwent a craniotomy at Mater Dei Hospital, where she remained until a crowdfunding campaign raised enough money to cover her flight home in a special medical plane.

After being cleared for travel last week, she is being treated at the Rajagiri Hospital Cochin, in Kerala where she has the added support of her family.

“She is doing well,” her husband, Tom Jacob, who returned home with her, told Times of Malta.

“They have started to do the neuro rehabilitation… family is here with us,” he said, adding they wanted to say “thank you to the Maltese people… especially [head nurse] Mario Sammut and other neurosurgical ward staff at Mater Dei”.

Tom Jacob outside his wife's hospital ward at Mater Dei.

Tom, 34, had turned to Times of Malta to share the couple’s story as he set up a crowdfunding campaign for an air ambulance to take her home. His Go Get Funding page raised more than €74,000, far surpassing the original €50,000 and enough to cover the air ambulance and hospital expenses in India.

It took some weeks for the air ambulance to be organised. But, finally, on Wednesday last week the couple got the full clearance, including the go-ahead from the airport in India. During the flight, they were accompanied by a doctor and nurse from Malta.

Now at the hospital in India, Tonamol has started neurorehabilitation.

“We can’t say how long it may take… It may take quite a while,” said Tom.

Originally from Kerala, Tonamol moved to Malta three years ago after marrying Tom. She initially worked as a carer at Mater Dei before completing her nursing bridge course and becoming a nurse based at St Vincent de Paul Residence.

The 29-year-old nurse is now being treated at Rajagiri Hospital Cochin in India. Photo: Rajagiri Hospital

Tom had moved to Malta earlier, starting out as a bartender before qualifying as a sommelier. He now works with the db Group.

The couple usually commuted together but, a few days before the accident, Tonamol had been filling in for a colleague at Mount Carmel Hospital. A friend had offered to give her a lift.

On the day of the accident, Tom dropped her off at the friend’s home. After dropping her near the hospital at 6.40am, the friend watched her cross the road and witnessed her being hit by a car.

Tonamol was struck on the right pelvic bone and thrown into a bollard, hitting her head before landing in the bushes. She was rushed to hospital, where doctors initially gave her little chance of survival.

They did not expect her to make it beyond 48 hours but she did and weeks became months, giving hope to Tom.

“There has been miniature progress from the first day but, for me, there were big changes,” he has said, adding that he remains hopeful that having family around will help improve her progress.