MUMBAI: A 22-year-old man has been fighting for his life after suffering a cardiac arrest and brain damage while lifting weights at a Mumbai Central gym earlier this month. Crawford Market resident Adnan Memon is a fitness enthusiast who has been working out for more than five years.The incident came to light after CCTV footage of the gym showing Memon collapse on the gym floor within seconds of lifting weights, went viral on WhatsApp along with a false message that he was dead.His family said the messages have added to their agony. Memon, who is pursuing MBA at an Andheri college, is currently admitted in the ICU of Saboo Siddique Hospital near Bhendi Bazaar. The incident took place on the evening of July 7.Memon was first rushed to Wockhardt Hospital, Mumbai Central. A source at the hospital said he was brought in, in a state of cardiac arrest where the heart completely stops working. “Doctors revived him with CPR,” he said.To their relief and some degree of surprise, Memon came back to life, although nearly 10-12 minutes after his heart had stopped. The lost minutes deprived his brain of oxygen long enough to cause serious damage. Neurologist Dr Rahul Chakor said Memon was minimally conscious and could follow commands. “During the time when his heart was not functioning, the brain suffered hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, a type of brain damage that occurs when it does not receive enough oxygen and blood.”“Overexerting the heart to proceed faster and faster could make it lose its rhythm and stop beating,” said the doctor and added that the loss of oxygen has affected the cortex—the outer covering of brain that requires a lot of oxygen and controls higher functions. Dr Chakor said it is difficult to comment at this stage whether Memon will recover completely. After initial treatment at Wockhardt, he was shifted to Saboo Siddique on July 13.After the incident was reported to Nagpada police, cops visited the Memons. When TOI visited Saboo Siddique on Thursday, Memon’s uncle Amin said, “We don’t have any complaint against the gym. However, when they are running a huge gym, they must have an in-house doctor.”Brijesh Singh, inspector general of the directorate general of information and public relations, said, “WhatsApp messages are like an epidemic and create anxiety among people. As of today there is no legal or technical way to stop these. We are working hard to create awareness about social media messages and their impact on society.”

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