Some gratitude runs so deep it echoes.
Today, I want to say thank you—not just in passing, not just in politeness, but the kind of thank you that comes from almost losing someone you love, and realizing that a stranger’s words may have changed the course of everything.
My sister has been struggling. And like many families who walk beside someone through addiction and recovery, we’ve spent years riding the razor’s edge between hope and heartbreak. Recently, she entered a rehabilitation program—something we all believed in, but approached with quiet worry.
It was there, in that space meant for healing the mind and spirit, that someone noticed her body crying out.
Dr. Venkata Vijaya Kumar Dalai, MD, a psychiatrist there to evaluate her for therapy—not physical illness—looked at her oxygen readings. And unlike every other medical professional she’d seen in years, he said something.
Her oxygen levels weren’t just a little off. They were dangerously low, often dipping into the 70s and 80s—levels that should have triggered alarm bells. But no one had ever mentioned it before. Maybe because of how she looks. Maybe because of her past. Maybe because they saw her as a lost cause, a former addict not worth the extra time.
But Dr. Dalai didn’t see her that way.
He cared enough to ask questions outside his scope. He took the time to point out something that wasn’t part of his job. And that moment has opened a door that may very well have saved her life.
We are now uncovering a serious heart issue we didn’t even know existed. We’re diving into tests on her lungs, and finally beginning to connect the dots that no one else dared to look at. If he hadn’t spoken up, I truly don’t think my sister would still be here.
And so, on this Thankful Thursday, I want to say this plainly and publicly:
Dr. Venkata Vijaya Kumar Dalai, MD—you are a rare and remarkable human.
You saw past her history. You looked deeper than her appearance.
You saw a person worth saving.
If I could give you 100 stars, I would.
You may not even realize it, but your choice to care made all the difference.
We are so, so grateful.
With humble thanks and deep respect,
Tonya (Tonitunes)
🖤
