A engineering student saved a man's life mid-flight using a ballpoint pen, and we're seriously impressed

We’re not sure if you’ve ever been on a flight when suddenly somebody has asked ‘Is there a Doctor on board?’  It’s not a good question to hear, you know there’s been a crisis of sorts.

On a recent flight from Geneva to Delhi, a 30 year old Dutch passenger who suffered from Type 1 Diabetes, was suffering from a hyperglycaemic episode.  He was faint, nauseous and sweating, and he knew the signs.  His insulin pen had gone missing at the airport and he hadn’t had insulin for the last five years. He knew he was about to go into a coma if he didn’t get help.

Two things were in the Dutch passenger’s favour.  There was a Russian on board who had his own insulin pen, although it was different to the one required by the Dutchman.  And there was a young engineering student on board, who knew how to adapt the Russian’s pen!

The young 21 year old man from IIT-Kanpur did not have a medical kit with him but he did have a ballpoint pen. And being a smart engineering student, he knew exactly what to do. He was able to use the spring from the ballpoint pen so that he could make the Russian’s pen work on the Dutchman.

Complicated?  Yes.  Brilliant? Yes.

The Indian engineering student, Karttikeya, used the plane’s WIFI so that he could download the pen’s design.  And he followed the design, using his own ballpoint spring, to adapt it so that Thomas, the Dutchman, could use the insulin cartridge.

Within minutes the hyperglaecemic fit was over and Thomas’s blood sugar returned to normal.  As you can imagine, he is and will be eternally grateful both the Russian and the Indian.  A good example of different nationalities coming together to save lives.  And a good example to always carry a spare insulin set.