Dear friends of Vijaya and Lee, 

As long-time friends of the Nagarajan-Swenson family who feel grateful for Vijaya’s generous heart and her radiant spirit, we are asking for your support to help ease their extraordinary financial and emotional burdens. She just turned 60, but she could not celebrate due to the pandemic and family medical issues. Right now, Vijaya is trying to keep her family in one piece. 

Over the past year, this has become increasingly difficult, as Lee’s health has significantly deteriorated. He is functionally bed-bound. Vijaya has been incurring most of Lee’s home care, with the help of their daughter Uma, who took the Spring semester off from Scripps College. We are amazed that Vijaya has been juggling all this while working full-time as a professor at the University of San Francisco.

One of the most useful ways we can support Vijaya at this time is to co-create a financial net for her. We are setting a goal of $20,000, which will significantly help her family manage at least the next six months. We are seeding this campaign with $6,000, so really, we just have $14,000 more to go.

Your contributions (any amount will be deeply appreciated!) will help in the following ways, especially beginning in the fall, when Vijaya will be teaching in-person, full-time, and Uma and Jaya will be returning to college to finish their undergraduate degrees:

Medical: Home care for Lee. Vijaya’s family is incurring thousands of dollars in health care costs beyond what their health insurance covers. Vijaya needs to hire an experienced aide/Physical or Occupational Therapist to work 20-24 hours a week. As Lee’s health is deteriorating to such an extent that he needs help with basic tasks and actions and Vijaya will be working full-time away from home, this help is critical.  
Household: Vijaya and Lee will incur as-of-yet unknown uninsured expenses making the house accessible for Lee’s varying levels of mobility.
Personal: Help Vijaya fulfill her dream of celebrating her birthday by going on a weekend meditation retreat at Spirit Rock. If she can hire an elder care professional, she can take this much needed break, and hopefully other forms of self-care that she so needs and deserves.

Vijaya has brought so much light, wisdom, joy, generosity and love into our lives, and we know many of you also have been blessed by her friendship. Please join us in giving back, and paying forward, however you can. And please share with friends of yours who may want to help with this.

With deep gratitude,
Kamini Ramani & Susan Moran

From Vijaya: 

For over a year, since July 1st, 2020, Lee has been very ill. He has been in and out of hospitals throughout the year. Lee can now walk with a walker, sometimes with a cane.

Jaya, Uma, and I have been managing with great difficulty. Jaya and Uma have been very helpful with everything. There were moments during the past year we thought Lee may get better, but we realize now that we are in a new reality. Some dear friends occasionally brought food, but due to the pandemic and my and Lee’s high-risk status, we mostly stayed isolated.

Now, Jaya and Uma are away for summer internships. They will be entering their senior year of college in August. I  realize I am utterly exhausted. I really need help with caring for Lee. We are so grateful for anything you can give. 

Love, Vijaya