Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times,
If only one remembers to turn on the light.
J.K. ROWLING
From the
Co-Founder’s Desk
The Journey
Growing up, I was a child with a voracious appetite- not for food, but for books! Reading would transport me to another world, full of possibilities, where one could be anything they wanted to! How, then, did I choose my career? Well, for one, a person that loves reading doesn’t find huge medical textbooks as daunting as others do. But more importantly, my hobby had infused strong ideas and beliefs in me. I wanted to be a doctor because it was the perfect amalgamation of everything I believed in- education, science, and service to humanity.
Enlightened Eyes
After MBBS, I went on to do my post-graduation in Ophthalmology, a branch that allowed me to be a surgeon (for I was fascinated with the craft of physically fixing the human body), and then earned a fellowship and worked with one of the biggest charitable eye hospitals in the country, Sankara Eye Hospital. Those were the most gratifying years of my life- learning, practicing, and lighting up lives every day.
When the going gets tough…
I would probably never have left the place, had it not been for a phone call from home- my mother wasn’t keeping too well. Within a span of 3 days, what seemed like a backache and a little breathlessness turned out to be a cancer of the lungs, turning our world upside down. This was followed by various problems on every front in my personal life.
“I’m fine!” Really?
While I managed the change of home, job, relationships, and life as I knew it, I found myself amidst caring friends and family, but still very much alone sometimes. I realise today that it would all have been so much easier if I had a safe space where I could vent without inhibitions. This led to the revelation that mental health is so much more than “I’m fine!”- words that we repeat without a second thought, or simply to avoid conversation about what we really feel. A healthy mind helps open up your thoughts, feel more, accept more, and communicate better.
The Genesis
Inner Calling is a space that was created for exactly this reason- to raise awareness of the importance of mental health, the beauty of having a safe space where you will never be judged, the understanding of therapy, and above all, to end the stigma associated with seeking professional help for your mind- just like you would do for your body!
Dr. Neha Dhiware
Opthalmologist