The man in the picture to the right is Dr. Dasaratha Naidu Are, our paternal grandfather. He grew up poor in a small remote village in India, and barely had the chance for an education. His parents sacrificed whatever little they had to provide for his education. Since there was no electricity in his village, he sat underneath a streetlamp every night to study. Additionally, since there was no school in his village, he had to walk to a nearby town that was seven kilometers away to attend school every day.
His persistence and diligence paid off, which gained him admission to medical school. To this day, almost 60 years later, he may be the only first-generation physician his hometown has produced. After medical school, he trained to become a surgeon. Then, he settled down in a remote small town called Jagitial to serve the same type of patients that he grew up with. Right in his house, he would treat all patients, regardless of their status or ability to pay.
Dr. Are led a life of dedication and commitment not only to realizing the extent of his full potential, but also to improving the lives of those around him. Learning of his exemplary lifestyle inspired us to form a nonprofit under the name omDNA: "om" signifying peace and "DNA" serving as an initialism of Dr. Are's name. Through omDNA, we hope to continue the legacy of Dr. Are and serve those same communities he worked tirelessly to provide for. Additionally, we work to elevate charity work done in Dr. Are's name to the global level. Through these efforts, we can help as many people as possible just as Dr. Are would have wanted.
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