From Uniforms to Unwavering Courage: Meet Major Khushboo Patani, The Heroine Behind Bareilly’s Baby Rescue

In an uplifting display of bravery and kindness, Major Khushboo Patani, a former officer of the Indian Army and older sister of celeb Disha Patani, has gained national fame after saving a deserted baby girl from a shabby building in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh.

 

Khushboo was out enjoying her morning stroll on Sunday, when she heard the heartbreaking wailing of a child coming from a ramshackle shanty near her home. True to form, even on this occasion, she quickly hopped over the wall and dug deep to get to the little girl. Inside was a baby girl, looking about 9–10 months’ old and alone. Khushboo quickly picked the child up and cared for her before bringing her home and reporting her to the authorities.

 

Khushboo immediately calmed the baby and, on a video posted to Instagram, publicly asked: “If you are from Bareilly and this is your baby, then tell us how the parents left her here. What shame!” She then urged that anyone living in the area help identify, and protect, the baby. The video went viral almost immediately, and many netizens and celebrities rushed to praise Khushboo for her compassion, including her sister Disha who commented, “You really are the real hero. Bless you both.”

 

 Education and Early Career 

Khushboo Patani was born in November of 1991 in Bareilly. She completed her schooling at BBL Public School and then went on to get an Electronics & Communication Engineering degree from DIT School of Engineering. After a couple of years working for a multinational company, a traumatic event while in college forced her to reconsider the direction of her life. Khushboo was inspired to join the armed forces after hear- ing about it from an Army captain during a presentation on her campus. She took and cleared the SSB exam her first time.

 

 Career Progression  

Khushboo served in the Indian Army for over a decade, and achieved the rank of Major. During her time in uniform, Khushboo traveled all over India's vast expanse, where she embraced various cultures, faced numerous challenges, and was provided an invaluable lesson of resilience, empathy and self-growth as a soldier.  Khushboo retired at the age of 34, and moved on to another phase of her career in becoming a fitness coach and certified spiritual healer, in addition to a TEDx speaker and wellness counselor. Khushboo is also an influencer on social media, where she discusses about self-discipline, mental health, fitness, emotional healing and wellness to her 1 million followers.

 

 After the Rescue 

Khushboo's rescued child (which she named Radha) was returned to the care of the police and transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. The authorities managed to locate and reunite the child with her biological parents, but Khushboo, in a public statement, has stated that she has asked the authorities to ensure that the child remains safe and well cared for.

 

Khushboo Patani's thoughtful and actionable dream act not only provided hope for one child, but also reminded the country what service looks like long after it no longer wears the uniform or carries the title. 

 

Source: The Economic Times