MAYILADUTHURAI
Recognition from none other than Chief Minister M.K. Stalin lifted the spirits of Vijayalakshmi, a 25-year-old woman who had completed MBBS at a Russian University, and her mother Ramani, a labourer at Mayiladuthurai fish market who had spent way beyond means to realise the dream of making her daughter a doctor, in no small measure, on Tuesday.
Having learnt about Ramani's feat, the Chief Minister had invited the mother-daughter duo to Thirukadaiyur during his visit to inspect works on desiltation of waterbodies, to felicitate them.
Mr. Stalin congratulated Ms. Vijayalakshmi in the presence of Mayiladuthurai Collector R. Lalitha and wished her success in her future endeavors. The Chief Minister's words of appreciation means a lot to Ms. Vijayalakshmi who will be appearing for the National Exit Test during June to gain eligibility to practise in India, a family well-wisher said.
The family is currently in dire straits, as 48-year-old Ms. Ramani whose husband had passed away when the children were just small, had sold her house, pledged jewellery and raised loans from moneylenders to fund Ms. Vijayalakshmi's education at Stavropol State Medical University in Russia.
Ms. Vijayalakshmi, who had initially enrolled for an engineering degree at Annamalai University due to shortage in cut-off for entry into MBBS course in India, had pursued medicine in Russia on the advice of a long-time customer at the shop where Ramani earns a livelihood by cleaning and cutting fishes.
The sparse income she generates is hardly enough to feed the family. "As such, debt-servicing remains a far cry. Financial support from philanthropists is the need of the hour for the family," the well-wisher said.
