VK is Fine Now – Thank you Azim Premji Foundation & Aaladamara

VK studied with us at Government College of Technology(GCT), Coimbatore (Electrical and Electronics Engineering).. VK was one of the smartest in the batch of 2001. He was also one of the very first for the entire batch to get on campus placement at IBM, one of the very first to travel to the US on business and more. He has a lot of credits to his name. VK is great to hang out with and he also genuinely cares for his friends. 

No matter how smart or the best in class you are, sometimes life takes a toll on you. After graduating from college, we always stayed in touch. When he visited the US, we also went on a couple of road-trips (one to Smoky Mountain in Tennessee). I also remember spending New Year’s Eve at Time-Square in 2003 seeing the Ball Drop. It was probably the best celebration of a new year’s eve we have seen.

However, I lost touch with VK after 2006 and tried to reach out to him multiple times, but he would not respond. Several years later (maybe 7 or 8) he came down to visit me one time. It was scary to see him with long hair, torn clothes and more and it was not difficult to figure out he was battling some issues. 

I did not understand a whole lot of what he was going through. I bought him some food, tried to get him a haircut, bought him some clothes and thought things would soon return to normal. He started looking better. 

VK was great at SAP.  Since we were trying to do some SAP work back then in our company, it was a no-brainer to employ him with us. I was excited about working with a friend and also making a great hire. 

However, his work was not consistent and it was a challenge. He would suddenly be missing from the office. I lost touch again. A few months later, he would turn up again, asking for a job or some money. I was a little frustrated with the whole situation.

A year or so later (sometime in 2016, I think) with great assistance of VK’s uncle Mr. Kanakaraj (who is very helpful), we got him admitted at a mental health hospital near Maduravoyal (on Chennai Bangalore Highway). I was excited to visit him along with his Uncle and see his recovery. He was admitted there for a few months, he recovered and came back. For sometime he stayed at his Uncle’s house and also at his home in his native.

However he would again go back to the old way. In 2017 or so, his situation got worse and it was difficult to see him. We tried to coordinate with some folks(friends and family) to get the situation under control so they could take care of him.

However, it did not work out as I had expected. It was clear that he needed medical attention again. Thanks to my office colleagues, Dipthi Rajagopal and Tamizh Selvan D, we coordinated  and got him admitted at the same hospital, this time for a longer duration. I am very thankful to both Dipthi and Selvan (they did not have to do this), however they supported the situation. 

Around 2018 or so, I decided to get more support and ran a Ketto campaign so more friends could get involved and help with the situation. Friends donated generously through a Ketto campaign and we got our friend VK admitted. He recovered. We were super glad about his recovery and it was exciting. 

VK’s cousin, VK and I (when we visited him at the hospital in Chennai) February, 14, 2018

We tried to get him a job so that he could stay occupied, and gain the dignity that comes with earning one’s own money again. A very kind human being C. Govindakrishnan (who was introduced to me through another friend) from Nethrodaya, a school for the visually impaired understood the situation and offered him a job to teach his students at his institution. 

The good thing is that he has had experience with someone who underwent similar mental health issues and he was able to see the person recover and take care of himself. When I visited C. Govindakrishnan, as soon as he heard the story of VK, he did not hesitate a bit and asked me to bring him to work. We also got VK a place close to Nethrodaya, so he could stay close-by and teach the students. This went on for 6 months or so. After that, there was no consistency and my friend VK went missing again.

For 1-2 years, I did not hear anything from him. This time, I was very concerned about his health and well being. I also felt a bit bad about myself that after all this work, he may have relapsed. 

Two years later, another uncle of VK called me and said he has been admitted to a Government Hospital in Ettayapuram. I also want to commend the efforts of the hospital. I was thankful that VK was safe. However, he would not stay in the hospital for long and they had to let him go. VK went missing again. I tried to get in touch with him through a couple of his uncles we have been in touch with and they did not know about his whereabouts. It was scary. 

Aaladamara foundation:

About 6-9 months ago, my friend VK had messaged me on Facebook asking me to call him. The blessing here is, every time my friend was lost, he had somehow saved my number and reached out. I was thankful to him for doing this. I called the number and it was H.B.S Hospital at Cook Burn Road in Bengaluru. They said that VK was admitted to the hospital and is recovering. 

They did not know about the whole story: about how VK is an Engineer, had traveled to the US a few times, one of the smartest in his class and more. I asked them about their hospital, and also asked how they found VK. Aruna Narayan, who spoke to me, told me that they found him on the streets of Bangalore and he was lost. When they found him, his condition was very bad. I could relate to this as I have seen this a few times.  

For some reason, VK has an affinity towards Bangalore (He worked there for 5 years) and everytime he gets missing from Chennai, he routes himself to Bangalore. I also learnt more about the Aaladamara foundation. It is a collaboration between The Banyan and The Azim Premji Foundation. I was super glad that the Aaladamara had found him and very thankful that they were taking care of him. 

On Sunday, August 18, 2024, I visited my friend VK in Bangalore. He was very excited to see me, I was even more excited. We talked for a while. 

Around 2018 or so, when he initially recovered I was planning a trip to Palani with him. All the arrangements were made, but finally, he did not turn up. This was hard on me. I ended up visiting Palani by myself. I was mad at him. 

When we were chatting during this visit, and to make sure his memory and more was intact, I casually asked him about not turning up for the Palani trip. He told me that he was scared of traveling at that point in time and he thought he would get lost. Oftentimes, we assume things without taking into consideration what the other person is going through. We can’t just blame a friend. The mental health issues can take a toll and could also create a sense of fear.

From Left to Right, Aruna Narayan, VK, me and Dr. Faraz S – Thank you.

Dr. Faraz S, Aruna Narayan and the Entire Team at the Aaladamara:

It was great to know that all the costs of my friend’s medical treatment, food and stay were provided by The Azim Premji Foundation.  Everything here is provided at no cost. I visited on a Sunday and Dr. Faraz and Aruna Narayan made it a point to be there. Thanks Aruna, for coordinating this visit. It was great to chat with Dr. Faraz, Aruna and the team there at H.B.S. They were even more excited to see VK on his recovery path. This was one of my best trips to Bengaluru and I am very thankful about this. 

The doctors and support staff are family to all the patients. They take care of patients so well and it is very inspiring to see this. A Big Thank you to Dr. Faraz, Aruna Narayan and the entire Team. 

What next?

The great news is, with the awesome work done by Aaladamara, Azim Premji Foundation, my friend VK is out of the hospital now. He is staying at a hostel near-by with constant monitoring of the support staff. The doctors say he is fine now. The doctors, my friend and we are very excited. There have been times I have wondered that we were not able to pull this off and we lost track of my friend. However, I am really glad and very thankful that The Banyan and Azim Premji Foundation found my friend and are taking great care of him. 

My friend VK says ‘I am very thankful to Aaladamara for the wonderful work and the great support of the doctors. The treatment provided by Aaladamara is excellent and very thankful’ When he was saying this VK was brimming with confidence.

There have been a lot of learnings for me personally on this. As you can see, it requires a team to handle situations like this. Never give up is another BIG learning. You never know what is in store and it is super exciting to see my friend VK recover and get back to normal life.  There are a lot of good souls on this earth. 

I also wanted to commend VK on his resilience. Despite his fears, and multiple setbacks, he always reached out for help, and is now putting in the effort to stay well. 

I am confident that this time is better than prior efforts. I am super excited for my friend and also very thankful to the doctors and the foundations for the assistance. VK even called me last week. 

Why did I write this blog?

A couple of reasons: 

1. Mental Illness can and should be addressed. This is a first hand experience for me. If there is a loved one or someone you know who is going through something similar or in the streets, get them treated. It costs much less than the person’s life and dignity. Organizations like The Banyan, The Aaladamara work in this space. VK has a long way to go and his story will serve as an inspiration to many. 
2. There have been a lot of friends who have supported VK through this journey. A lot of you have asked me about VK and his whereabouts. Many of you have also contributed to the Ketto campaign. This is just an update that your contribution and prayers did make a big difference. Thank you.

VK and I still need to make a trip to Palani.