India, July 1 -- Doctors step in when life falters. On National Doctors' Day, families across India look back at moments when timely decisions, skilled hands and quiet compassion helped them survive the unthinkable. From a premature baby who fought for breath to a mother who beat cancer and a woman who found strength after losing a child, these are stories not just of recovery, but of the doctors who made it happen.

In February, Uttarakhand-based homemaker Khushboo Srivastava (38) suffered a sudden gall bladder rupture. Since she was seven months pregnant at the time, doctors recommended an emergency delivery. Her son Anant was born premature, with severely underdeveloped lungs. "He was bleeding and on the ventilator. Some doctors told u...