Our Visit to LVPEI in January 2026

This January, while traveling in India, both Bhaskar and I visited L V Prasad Eye Institute again during our stay in Bhubaneswar. It was a truly humbling and moving experience.

We spent time with families of children living with CVI, who navigate uncertainty every single day. Their journeys are filled with questions, exhaustion, and yet a hope that refuses to fade. No words can truly ease their struggles. Sometimes the most meaningful thing one can offer is simply presence and a willingness to listen.

Bhaskar’s simple act of kindness in that moment stayed with me and touched many others. He gently offered to hold the babies so the mothers could have a few free moments to speak, to breathe, or simply to receive a comforting hug. In that small gesture was a reminder that compassion often lives in the simplest acts.

During the visit, we distributed tablets installed with the Vision Nanny application to parents supported by Vision-Aid’s SATHI program. These tools help families practice daily vision-development exercises with their children at home, turning ordinary moments into opportunities for growth.

We also had the opportunity to interact with Dr. Debasmita Majhi, Dr. Umesh Behera, and Dr. Vivek Warkad, whose commitment to pediatric eye care continues to inspire.

Another encouraging update came from the CHASMA project, which has been beautifully streamlined in the district of Sundargarh. The team is now eager to expand the program to Mayurbhanj. Through these screenings, several children have been referred to other LVPEI centers, including CVI cases to our Nayan Jyoti Center.

One moment that especially warmed our hearts was learning that a tribal trainee from the program has now been recruited by LVPEI for a higher role – a powerful reminder that meaningful change often begins with opportunity.

A New Possibility Emerging 

-Where Your Book Purchase Is Making a Difference

Sometimes visits like these illuminate the path forward. Over the past months, many of you have supported my book journey with extraordinary generosity. Every purchase, every message, and every word of encouragement has been part of something larger than the book itself.

I am delighted to share that the funds raised through sales of my book, Ashtanayika: The Romantic Heroines from Natyashastra to Modernity, along with matching support, will help initiate a community-based CVI rehabilitation program through L V Prasad Eye Institute in Balasore at its secondary center, the Naraindas & Morbai Budhrani Eye Centre.

Dr. Debasmita Majhi, who also serves in Bhubaneswar, provides regular OPD services and specialist visits at this Balasore center. The center serves a large number of patients from the neighboring tribal district of Mayurbhanj, where access to specialized rehabilitation services is extremely limited.

The proposed initiative will deploy trained field workers who will travel to families’ homes, guiding parents through practical exercises and therapies that help children with CVI develop functional vision skills. The program will also orient Anganwadi teachers, ensuring that support continues within the community itself.

In its first phase alone, the program hopes to reach 200+ children and their families, bringing structured rehabilitation services to an area where none currently exist.