After Flames

Rana’s brother Deepak requestedleave from his university in Indiaand flew over to keep vigil in hisolder brother’s room. Deepak couldspeak no English. Rana could notspeak at all because he was in a comaand remained unconscious for fourmonths. Ronald McDonald House, setup to provide free lodging to parentsof children who were ill, graciouslyoffered Deepak a place to stay.There is an old burn unit yarn thataround Christmas patients act up.And although Rana was Hindu, atthe winter solstice, he had his darkestdays. After five months of keepingmostly clear of infections, he becameseptic as bacteria moved into hisbloodstream. The bacteria seemed toresist everything, and Rana came evencloser to dying than he had been thenight of the fire. For a few tense daysit looked like all the months of workhad been for nothing. But, again, hemade a hair’s breadth escape. Somedrugs finally kicked in, bacteria waskilled and his blood became clean.That was the turning point. FromDecember onward, it was clear to themedical team he was going to live.In 2006, Rana got better, stronger. He opened his eyes, hestarted to move. He made what physicians call in their restrainedlanguage “a remarkable recovery.”With 95 percent of his skin grown back, he was transferrednot to India—there would be no hospital to take him there—but to the acute rehabilitation program at Wishard MemorialHospital in Indianapolis. There, he met Shannon Hendricks,an occupational therapist, who could see that under his scarswas a man who wanted to be rehabilitated. Eventually, Rana wasdischarged to a nursing home where he lived day by day, sharingrooms with people who were dying or suffering from dementia.Under the influence of daily morphine to control pain, helearned again how to stand and walk. After a year, he was able tostart bringing a spoon to his mouth.At the time of the fire, Rana was one course shy of completinga degree in computer engineering at Purdue University. The lastrequirement was waived, and Rana was able to put on a gown,stand up, walk, and receive his engineering degree. His momflew in for his graduation.Rana suffered a fourth-degree burn to his heel, down to histendons and bones, and had several toes amputated on his leftfoot. These were his only amputations: Gottlieb and his medicalteam had spared every other digit. Hendricks, who had seenRana completed a half-marathon May 3, 2008 inIndianapolis, just a week after a surgery that left incisionsin both shoulders. His occupational therapist, ShannonHendricks, is running next to him. Photo provided byManoj Ranamany tough scrapes, but nothing astough as this, coached him to walkfaster and faster—and then to run.With Hendricks running and sometimeswalking alongside him everystep of the way, Rana completed ahalf marathon in the summer heat ofIndianapolis in 2008. He managedto run 13.1 miles, even though hisgrafted skin had no sweat glands. Hedid this a week after a surgery thatleft eight-inch incisions on both hisshoulders. He returned to a nursinghome that he increasingly was outgrowing,and was discharged to liveon his own.Rana is now working on his MBAfrom the Kelley School of Business atIndiana University in Indianapolis.In his most recent accounting course,he got the top grade in his class.In March, Steven Allen was foundguilty of three counts of murderand two counts of arson. On June25, 2009, Rana and Hendricks wentto Allen’s court sentencing. Beforehe handed down his sentence,Lake County Superior Court JudgeClarence Murray said that Rana wasan inspiration and a “testament tothe ability of the human spirit to persevere in the face of greatadversity.” Then he pronounced Allen’s sentence: 220 years—60 years each for the murder of Allen’s wife, daughter andSinghal, plus 40 years for the aggravated arson that left Rana soseverely injured.Lake County Deputy Prosecutor John Burke, who handledthe Allen case and has gotten to know Rana over the past fewyears, called him “a great kid” and in an ironic way, a lucky one.“God has put some wonderful people in Rana’s path up there atthe University of Chicago Medical Center,” Burke said.Allen is appealing his conviction. In April, Judge Murrayapproved Allen’s request to marry the girlfriend whose Floridatrip set the stage for the tragedy. The marriage has sincetaken place.Rana has decided to remain in America. He is currently hereunder a U visa, which grants temporary legal status and work eligibilityto victims of crimes. Eventually, he would like to obtaina green card, which would make him a permanent legal resident.He has stated, “I came to America to have a better education anda better life so I could provide for my family.” With the surgeriesbehind him, Rana can at last begin reconstructing, not the betterlife he had imagined, but the best life he can have.Fall 2009 19