For thirteen years, Afsheen Gul saw the world from a tilted perspective—literally. A resident of Mithi in Pakistan’s Sindh province, Afsheen lived with her neck permanently bent at a 90-degree angle. Today, her story is no longer one of struggle, but a testament to medical brilliance and a “miracle” that crossed international borders.
The Accident That Changed Everything
Afsheen was born a healthy child, but at just 10 months old, an accidental fall from her sister’s arms changed the trajectory of her life. The impact caused a severe injury that went untreated due to her family’s financial struggles.
Over the years, her condition progressed into a rare disorder known as atlanto-axial rotatory dislocation. This meant the top two vertebrae of her spine were misaligned, locking her head in a painful, sideways position. Compounded by cerebral palsy, the condition left her:
- Unable to walk or sit upright independently.
- Struggling to eat or speak clearly.
The “Angel” From Across the Border
Afsheen’s plight gained international attention in 2017 after a journalist highlighted her case. Despite the global visibility, many hospitals deemed the surgery too risky, citing a “50% chance of survival.”
The turning point came when Dr. Rajagopalan Krishnan, a specialist in complex spinal surgeries at Apollo Hospital in Delhi, stepped in. Moved by her story, Dr. Krishnan offered to perform the life-saving surgery free of charge.
The Journey to Recovery
In early 2022, Afsheen and her family traveled to India. The road to a straight neck was not a single step but a series of high-stakes medical interventions:
- Halo-Gravity Traction: For months, Afsheen wore a metal ring around her skull with weights attached to a pulley system to slowly stretch the neck muscles and reduce the 90-degree bend.
- The Main Surgery: In February 2022, Dr. Krishnan led a grueling six-hour operation. The team meticulously attached her skull to her spinal cord using titanium rods and screws.
- Risk Management: The surgery was extremely delicate; one wrong move could have caused permanent paralysis or even death.
A New Lease on Life
Today, Afsheen Gul is a different person. By 2024 and 2025, social media updates from her brother, Yaqoob Kumbar, have shown a girl who is finally “standing tall.”
“She will be looking at the world not upside down but straight on. Functionally, she will be better.” — Dr. Rajagopalan Krishnan
Afsheen can now walk independently, eat without assistance, and most importantly, smile. While she still requires regular follow-ups via video calls with her doctors in India, the life-threatening compression on her spinal cord is gone. For Afsheen and her family, the doctors didn’t just fix a neck; they gave her a future.
