We're learning about the human body faster than ever before. Back in 1950, it took about 50 years for our medical knowledge to double, but now it only takes 73 days. Still, there's a lot we don't understand about how our bodies work. For example, scientists think there are about 4,000 kinds of bacteria in our gut, but they're not sure what 70% of them do. We're also not certain why we dream, have different blood types, or why each person has unique fingerprints. In 2021, scientists even found a new body part that helps us chew our food.

That's why it's not unexpected for doctors to still be puzzled by certain medical mysteries. However, due to the ever-expanding knowledge today, they also continue to solve once perplexing cases. We'll share a couple of stories about medical wonders, or perhaps they could even be described as miracles.

"Fight like a girl." That's what Kali Hardig's parents told her on July 19, 2013. The day before, Kali had been playing with friends at a water park in Arkansas, having fun. But then she started feeling unwell and after examination, doctors said something that shocked her parents: Kali might have gotten water with a dangerous amoeba up her nose, which made her sick. The doctors said almost everyone who got it died. For fourteen days, Kali's medical team worked nonstop to save her life. They put her in a medically induced coma, managed her blood pressure to prevent it from getting too low while also stopping episodes of high blood pressure that were making her brain swelling worse.

After some time, Kali's brain swelling started to get better. Doctors reduced the amount of medicine that made her sleep and made her body warmer. They weren't sure if she would be the same girl she was before when she woke up, or if she would even wake up at all. Then, two days later, Kali woke up, gave a thumbs-up to her parents, and they realized she was still herself inside. Doctors aren't completely sure why she survived. (A 12-year-old boy from Florida, who was diagnosed a few days after Kali and got the same medicine from Germany, didn't make it.)

Here's another one. At the age of forty, Ruby Graupera-Cassimiro had just undergone an entirely routine C-section, delivering a gorgeous baby girl. However, as the medical team transported her to the recovery room, she lost consciousness. Unexpectedly, Ruby, now a mother of two, experienced a severe cardiac arrest. 

She had life-threatening heartbeats for more than two hours. The scariest part was when Ruby's heart was beating but not pumping blood, and doctors did CPR compressions for 45 minutes straight. After around two hours, the doctors knew things were not looking good. They let her family come in to say goodbye. They went back to the waiting area, along with a few nurses, and prayed hard for a miracle. The doctors stopped trying to revive her and were getting ready to declare her as passed away. However, without any medicine or CPR, Ruby's heart started to beat by itself for the first time in two hours. Ruby not only survived but is also in excellent health. It's almost as if this never happened. Doctors called it a miracle.

It is definitely true that medicine has come a long way. Just a few years ago, it would have been hard to think that technology could help paralyzed people walk again using exoskeletons, that so many would use social media for information, or that a supercomputer like Watson would help doctors make medical decisions. Technology has changed medicine and healthcare in ways that sounded like science fiction not long ago. Medical students need to stay updated with the latest trends and learn quickly because even shortly after completing their studies, much of what they know might already be outdated.

Experts predict that we'll soon see things like digital tattoos, 3D-printed medicines, and even RFID (radio frequency identification) implants in medicine and healthcare. These mind-blowing discoveries are happening almost every day.

One thing we can be grateful for in this era is modern medicine. Let's show our gratitude to the dedicated doctors, nurses, researchers, and medical professionals. You can find more inspiring posts from the Reddit group 'Medizzy' below and also check out our previous post on the topic here.