Madhavi Reddy is a board certified comprehensive ophthalmologist in private group practice in south Texas for twenty two years. She is affiliated with the University of Texas- Rio Grande Valley medical school and the clinical research unit of the University of Texas-Houston School of public health.

Madhavi is originally from Hyderabad, India. She graduated from Gandhi Medical College and completed post graduate training in ophthalmology at Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital in 1989. After briefly working on an ICMR project she relocated to Houston, Texas with family. She received a master's degree in vision sciences from the University of Houston. She spent two years as a resident in Internal medicine at the UT-Houston Health Science center followed by a three year residency in ophthalmology at Texas Tech university. Global ophthalmology is her passion. She is associated with Surgical Eye Expeditions International, an American NGO for the last 15 years. She has worked in Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, Ecuador, Peru, Vanuatu, Ghana, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Cambodia, Myanmar and India. SEE International recognized her as the Humanitarian of the year 2019. Currently, Madhavi is actively participating in Ophthalmology resident training in Africa. Madhavi lives in Brownsville, on the border with Mexico and by the sea, with her husband, Dr. Sundeep Reddy. They have three children, Neeti, a cardiologist, Siddharth, a PhD student in AI and Samir, an undergrad student in biomedical engineering.

In addition to Hindi and Telugu, Madhavi is fluent in Spanish. She is active in the local India Association promoting Indian arts and culture in the Rio Grande Valley. She spends her free time planting trees, hiking, writing poetry and mentoring students.

In the current virtual world, I asked Madhavi to share her story on her career, family values, volunteering and the immigrant experience. Here is her story…

Family Values growing up in India

I have been very lucky in that I have received more than my fair share of good fortune. It began with my father. He was a brilliant student but lacked financial resources and family support. He was able to go to college because of a kind sponsor who generously allowed him to live in his house and paid for his college in Hyderabad. His success in life was the direct result of someone else’s generosity and it had a cascading effect on his children and grandchildren. My father passed on his love of learning and thirst for knowledge to his children. I always remember him saying, “Do not ever be afraid of hard work”. My mother taught me how to be fearless and independent. I grew up on stories of how my maternal grandfather would never turn away anyone who came to his door asking for help and my paternal grandmother who was there at the bedside of anyone who was sick in her village. I thank my family for preparing me well to lead a balanced life.

Early Life in India

My elementary education was with Chenchu tribals in the Eastern ghats in Andhra Pradesh. Our first grade class had kids aged three to eighteen. Whenever a willing tribal girl was found, she would be added to the first grade class and I was the only 3 yr old. It was a true Montessori education; there was no pressure. Learning was fun! My classmates taught me many things especially about the forest that surrounded the little village we lived in. Our family moved every three years to a new place as my father worked for the Indian Forest Service. As we would move in the middle of the school Year, I was always the “new girl” in the class. I remember telling myself on the first day in the new school: “Just give me a few weeks, I’ll have plenty of friends.” In 11th grade, I switched from Telugu to English as the medium of instruction. I knew it was a matter of time before I would get comfortable. All these challenges taught me the magic formula for success—hard work, perseverance and fearlessness. After much burning of midnight oil and a lot of support from family and strangers who went out of their way to help, I qualified as an ophthalmologist again, seven years later

Migrating to the United States

I came to the United States when I was 27 years old, married, and caring for a four year old child. I was an ophthalmologist by then in India. When I arrived, I was told that I had very little chance of getting back into the same field. I refused to accept it. I was always used to fighting for my place. Growing up in India as a girl made me determined to prove myself. Hard work was not a deterrent.

On  giving back to society

Most of you know the time table of immigrants in this country. We come, study, get a good job, have children and contribute to society. I am no different. My husband is a physician and we have three children. They are all seven years apart. My oldest is 30 yrs old and my youngest is 16, still in high school. So, in this busy state of affairs, where is the time to volunteer? The only way is to believe that it is a required activity and to plan ahead of time. When my youngest was 3 yrs old, I said to my husband: “Honey, I can’t wait any longer! I have to start working on my dream. I have to go on an eye camp! Can you please take care of the baby for a week?” And he did! From then on, for the past 13 years, I have been going on cataract surgery missions all over the world. I’ve been to Africa, South and Central America, Asia and the Pacific. I love traveling to new places. When I combine that love with the passion I have for eye surgery, the result is some of the most meaningful moments of my life. Someone I met in Vanuatu, a pacific island, asked: “How can you leave your husband and children behind and travel this far, alone?” I smiled and said, “You are all my family too.” We have to consciously redraw the circle of family to include the world, not just our immediate family or the extended family or the community or the country we live in. When you volunteer, strangers, people you just met, open their hearts and homes and welcome you in as if you are their kith and kin. I have many precious memories of people, a Ghanaian nurse who held my hand to help me cross a busy street in Accra, an Ethiopian man who gave me a bear hug when we removed his eye patch after cataract surgery, a Honduran child delighting in a new world with glasses on her face for the first time and a young Burmese interpreter who invited me for a meal at her home, a hut on stilts. These are some of the most tender experiences I have ever had. I learned in the first mission that through these experiences I receive much more than I give. They are an investment toward my happiness. Sure, money is necessary but most of us underestimate the impact of volunteering on our lives. It helps us stay happy and healthy.

The role of immigrants in America

I believe in passing on our heritage and traditions to the next generation. But there is something else that we have to remember; we have chosen to be Americans. Integration, assimilation and giving back are very important. We are Americans first and Indians later, humans first and hindus later. Vivekananda said, “Religion is realization—not talk of doctrines or theories, however beautiful they may be. It is being and becoming—not hearing or acknowledging”. So, what is the true heritage we need to pass on? To be aware, to be tolerant, to practice truth and kindness and to share what we have, here at home and with the rest of the world! Only then can we become complete and realized beings. Someone said to me the other day - you are lucky you are an Ophthalmologist, that’s why you are able to do all this. We can be anyone and still make a difference in someone else’s life. Feeding homeless, planting trees, recycling, mentoring students, teaching English to immigrants, sponsoring orphans, building schools, providing healthcare to the underserved, encouraging girls to study…..the list is endless. The only requirement is that we believe that volunteering is a necessary part of life. It builds character in our children and makes us better citizens of the world. It gives purpose to our lives. When children see their parents volunteering and having fun, it sends a powerful message. For an immigrant desi parent, you don’t need any more motivation! We’ll do anything to optimize our kids’ future happiness. Won’t we!

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