A young Indian girl has now been in a coma for over a month after she met with a tragic accident in the US on November 9, according to an online fundraiser. Arti Singh was returning from a professional networking event and crossing the road near her home in San Jose, California, when she was hit by a car last month.
According to IANS, she continues to be unconscious and unresponsive since the day of the incident. Currently admitted in Santa Clara Valley Medical Centre, she is on ventilator, as per a post made by the nonprofit Overseas Organisation For Better Bihar. The Indian diaspora and many others in the US community have joined in to raise funds for the Indian girl, who is fighting for her life in the US.
Although Arti was trying to make a life in the US at the time of the accident, she reportedly has roots in India’s Patna.
Indian girl Arti Singh remains in coma in San Jose
According to a fundraiser on the Zeffy website, Arti Singh was recently laid off from work. Although her father, Sumiran Singh, has now arrived from India and is by her side at the hospital, he is doing his best to make sense of the situation. The fundraiser details that he has no access to his daughter’s devices or documents, and is struggling to manage finances, especially since he reportedly does not have any relatives in the Bay Area.
As she undergoes intensive treatment at the Santa Clara Valley Medical Centre, doctors have performed major surgeries to her neck, for breathing, and stomach, for feeding, according to the fundraiser. (See Zeffy campaign: http://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/donate-for-arti-singh-fighting-for-life-in-santa-clara-valley-medical-center-san-jose)
The IANS cited the San Jose Police Department, suggesting that the collision was not a hit-and-run. Despite the major revelation, the driver’s identity still has not been released to the public.
Demanding answers, Arti’s father shared that he was only told about the driver being a man in his 50s. “My daughter is still not opening her eyes. I talk to her every day, hoping she can hear me. I have no one here – just her, and the hope that she will wake up,” her father, Sumiran Singh, said, as per IANS.
Community unites to help Indian girl in the US
Even Indian American community leader Ajay Bhutoria, who is the former National Finance Committee Member and Advisor to President Biden, has raised the issue with the District Attorney’s office, as per IANS.
Meanwhile, the official fundraising link on Zeffy has so far raised $20,629 of its $200,000, accounting for 10% of the set goal.
The Overseas Organization for Better Bihar (O2B2) is also rallying to support Arti Singh’s father.
In a November 21 Facebook post, the nonprofit wrote, “Came to know about this young girl, Arti Singh, with roots in Patna. She was laid off last month and was returning from a networking event on November 9th.” (See post: http://www.facebook.com/OOBetterBihar/posts/came-to-know-about-this-young-girl-arti-singh-with-roots-in-patna-she-was-laid-o/868238365574473/)
The post added, “She is on ventilator and not responding. Father is reaching SF today. Chances are she may not survive. Father does not have access to her insurance, bank account , laptop or phone etc. The situation is really hard for the family. We have started a donation campaign to help them. I urge you all to open your hearts and donate. God forbid but life is uncertain and it can happen to anyone. So let’s do our part in saving this girl / family.”
As per the IANS report, O2B2 has even accompanied Arti’s father to hospital meetings, offices and agencies, in addition to having started a fundraising campaign.
“Singh has no one here. No relatives. No support. When we met him, he didn’t even know where he would sleep,” an O2B2 spokesperson said, according to IANS. “We cannot let a father struggle alone in a foreign land while his daughter fights for her life. We are calling upon the Indian community in the Bay Area to step up to help Arti Singh and her father in whatever way possible.”
According to MigrationPolicy.Org’s 2024 report, “Indian immigrants made up nearly 7 percent of the San Jose metro area and more than 3 percent of the population of the San Francisco area.” The report cited the US Census Bureau, pooling data during the 2018-22 period, indicating that the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA Metro Area had an immigrant population of 136,000 from India, making up of 6.9% of the Metro Area’s overall population at the time.
California’s San Jose even emerged as of the Top 10 US metropolitan areas by Indian population in Pew Research Center’s analysis of 2017-2019 American Community Survey (IPUMS). It stated that the US city had an Indian population of 189,000 at the time.