Texas A&M student has no brain activity after being injured during Astroworld Festival, family says
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A 22-year old Texas A&M University senior has shown no brain activity after she was injured during Friday's disaster at the Astroworld Festival, her family said Tuesday.
Bharti Shahani has been in critical condition and is on a ventilator.
Her family told ABC13 Tuesday morning that they are meeting to determine what to do next.
Shahani, her sister Namrata Shahani and her cousin Mohit Bellani went to the concert together, but lost each other when the crowd surged.
"Once one person fell, people started toppling like dominos. It was like a sinkhole. People were falling on top of each other," Bellani said. "There were like layers of bodies on the ground, like two people thick. We were fighting to come up to the top and breathe to stay alive."
Bharti was taken to Houston Methodist Hospital by ambulance. Paramedics gave her CPR on the way there.
But Namrata Shahani and Bellani had both lost their cell phones. They couldn't find Bharti.
"Once we let go of her hand, the next time we saw her, we were in the ER," Namrata said.
Bharti and Namrata's parents went to NRG Park when they heard the news. They then rushed to multiple hospitals before they found Bharti.
"They took us to her room, and she was bleeding and on a ventilator. Me and my wife were too shocked. We can't even stand in there," her father, Sunny Shahani, said.
They say Bharti had suffered multiple heart attacks.
"I think she lost oxygen for 10 minutes one time and seven minutes at another time," Bellani explained. "So her brain stem was swollen to like 90 percent almost."
Bharti has been studying electronics systems engineering at TAMU, and is set to graduate in the spring. She has already secured a summer internship, and her father said she planned on taking over the family business after graduating.
"The doctors, they say the chances of survival are nothing, which I have not even spoken to my wife until now. We keep saying we'll pray," Sunny said prior to Tuesday's news. "I request all of Houston to pray for her. Maybe the prayers might work as a miracle for her."
"I want people to understand what we experienced and to make sure nothing like this ever, ever happens to anyone ever again," said Bellani.
Bharti's family has set up a GoFundMe. If you'd like to donate, head to this page on the GoFundMe website.
SEE ALSO: 9-year-old boy fighting for his life after being crushed at Astroworld Festival
