It was a tense moment when the 39-year-old Tanzanian woman first beheld her post-op reflection in a mirror. Volunteer surgeons from Rotaplast International had recently repaired her cleft lip and palate that had made her an outcast in her village.
The woman cried tears of joy at the sight of her reconstructed face, as did Saratogan Sangita Seshadri, who was among the volunteers who had traveled to Arusha, Tanzania with Rotaplast. The South San Francisco-based nonprofit is dedicated to providing surgical services to poor communities.
“Here was a woman who had lived 39 years with an appearance so disturbing, she rarely ventured out of her family’s mud hut,” Seshadri said. “Unable to find meaningful employment, she had few prospects for any kind of normal life. The medical care she desperately needed was either unavailable or unaffordable. Yet, after a three-hour procedure, all of her hopes for a better future were restored as if by magic.”
The Tanzanian woman’s story is just one of many such moments Seshadri has witness over the years. She recalled Pablo, a teenager from the slums of Lima, Peru, who dreamed of becoming a stage actor. But a nasal fistula—a hole between his nose and mouth—made his speech garbled and unintelligible. Just hours after his surgery, he could speak intelligibly for the first time in his young life.
An 18-month-old Guatemalan toddler was abandoned by his parents because they believed his deformities were a sign of demonic possession. Luckily, his aunt rescued and adopted him, and brought him to the Rotaplast doctors, who were able to surgically repair his cleft palate.
Seshadri has also traveled to India, Egypt and the Philippines on the nine Rotaplast missions she’s been on since 2014.
“Every time I go on one of these missions, I feel I get more than I give,” she said. “Every trip has a special case, a child or an adult whose life has been profoundly impacted by the Rotaplast surgeons. These tears of joy and happiness is what brings us back to do more of these missions. It is an addiction; I cannot get enough.”
In addition to Rotaplast, Seshadri has traveled the world to help poor villages build schools and other infrastructure, served as Saratoga Rotary Club president, worked in soup kitchens, raised money for leukemia research, administered polio vaccines to infants in Nigeria, mentored at-risk youth in San Jose and volunteered for local school music departments.
Seshadri, a Saratoga resident since 1997, may have been inclined toward a life of service from an early age, growing up in Kota, Rajasthan, India.
“My mother, a gynecologist, was always available for anyone who needed help, regardless of the day of the week or hour of the day,” she recalled. “Watching her serve the community made me aware that one person can make a big difference”.
She and her husband Seshadri (“Sesh”) Ramaswami immigrated to the United States in 1987, whereupon she obtained a master’s degree and PhD in biochemistry from San Jose State and UC Santa Cruz, respectively. While working in the pharma industry, she was involved in the development of the first inhaled insulin product, followed by work on a product for cystic fibrosis patients.
“When I came to the US, one of my first volunteer experiences was helping in soup kitchens,” she said. “And although I am not athletic, I ran marathons and half-marathons to raise $20,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.”
Locally, she organized the annual pancake breakfast fundraisers for the Saratoga High School Music Boosters, and joined the Saratoga Rotary Club in 2015.
Serving on the club’s International Service Committee with Sesh, she flew to Nigeria in 2016 to give polio vaccines to children and infants, then returned the next year to help rebuild a rural school, a project for which she raised $23,000. The Ugbolu school now has new classrooms, bathrooms, clean water and a library.
She and Sesh have traveled numerous times to Bangalore, India, partnering with local Rotary Clubs to provide bathrooms and clean water systems for 23 schools, equipment for diagnosing treating diabetic retinopathy, and hygiene education programs for girls.
“Many global problems have roots in misunderstandings or cultural differences,” Seshadri said. “Building goodwill involves fostering cross-cultural understanding, which can reduce tensions and promote cooperation on a global scale. Empowering the youth with education, skills and support can break the cycle of challenges and contribute to a more promising future.”
For others interested in community service, Seshadri advised, “Don’t wait and watch. Jump in and get involved in any area that drives your passion. There are no shortage of service clubs and organizations in need of volunteers.
“I get the energy when I see people like Dr. Angelo Capozzi (founder of Rotaplast International) traveling across the globe at age 90, still doing the hard work,” she added.
Dave Eshleman is head of the Saratoga Rotary Club’s Public Image Committee.
