Supporting patients in their most critical moments
Meet Aashish, Riddhi and Krisha

“She’s our light, our baby girl,” says Aashish Vyas of his daughter.

Things were not so bright last summer. Aashish recalls the pain of seeing his wife Riddhi, pregnant with their first child at 38 weeks, lifted into an ORNGE air ambulance. A car crash near Barrie, Ontario had seriously injured Riddhi and his parents-in-law.

Aashish sustained only minor injuries, so rushed home to frantically pack belongings for his wife and in-laws who all required hospitalization.

Then came a call from Dr. Dini Hui, a high-risk obstetrician in Sunnybrook’s DAN Women & Babies Program. “She explained, simply and kindly, that our baby needed to be delivered as quickly as possible. I was thankful once I realized Sunnybrook was the best place in Ontario for my wife and baby to be. Riddhi was a trauma patient and our baby may have needed care in a high-level neonatal intensive care unit,” says Aashish.

A group of obstetricians, neonatal experts, critical care and trauma doctors, orthopedic surgeons, nurses and anesthetists gathered to ensure a safe delivery. Baby Krisha arrived on July 6, 2024, seven pounds, 12 ounces and perfectly healthy.

“For people like Riddhi, who have urgent and complex medical needs, Sunnybrook excels at bringing together teams quickly. Every minute counts after a trauma, and this is where we shine,” says Dr. Rob Fowler, Critical Care Physician and Chief, Tory Trauma Program, who adds that the hospital’s wide range of specialties, in addition to expertise in caring for the most critically ill patients, places Sunnybrook in a unique role to support people across Ontario in their most critical moments.

With Riddhi in critical care, Aashish stayed with his newborn in the obstetrics unit. “The nurses took care of me, making sure I ate and slept as much as I could, so I could take care of her,” he says.

Looking back, he admits the time was a blur. When Krisha slept, he would take her to see his wife. Riddhi had multiple injuries, including a pelvic fracture, as well as damage to her left knee and leg, and a fracture in her right ankle. He says the team in the Tory Trauma and DAN Women & Babies Programs were exceptional, allowing him to visit her, and eventually room in with his wife and baby. In between these visits, he checked on his father-in-law who was also hospitalized at Sunnybrook, and his mother-in-law who was being cared for at another hospital.

Following four surgeries, Riddhi is now recovered, along with her father. Aashish’s mother-in-law recently passed away in India.

Aashish admits it has been emotional and there have been ups and downs. He says he will forever be grateful for those at Sunnybrook who looked after his wife and father-in-law, and cared for his well-being. In the end, he cherishes that he, Riddhi and Krisha are all well.

“Throughout this ordeal, I would look at my baby girl and forget everything. Thank you, Sunnybrook.”