Longtime Emory Eye Center supporter Pratap Mukharji shares his debt of gratitude
Pratap Mukharji doesn't toss out the word 'philanthropy' for show. The semi-retired business management consultant sees gratitude as something akin to a benevolent debt. And he's accumulated a lot of
I was 16 when I came to this country from India. I had only $58 and a Rotary Scholarship to study in Boise, Idaho for a year.
My parents had very generously purchased a one-way ticket, but, from then on, I was a scholarship kid. The education that allowed me to achieve such success was paid for by the philanthropy of others. I will always consider it my duty, really, to give back, to support education.
That alone could easily explain Mukharji's longstanding commitment to the Emory Department of Ophthalmology. His yearly donations to the Vision Research Fund support the Eye Center's basic scientific and translational research - the foundation of future vision treatment breakthroughs.
But Pratap Mukharji's debt of gratitude goes a little deeper than that.
Diagnosed with glaucoma in his mid-20's, Mukharji came to Emory Eye Center about 11 years ago after a private practice ophthalmologist performed laser surgery on his left eye.
I don't know if it was doctor error or what. But that first surgery did not improve anything,
he recalls.
After that, I knew I needed to find someone with impeccable credentials to take over my glaucoma care. Without some intervention, I knew I was going to go blind. The good news is I had the means and the time to research what I should do next. Did I need to go to another part of the country or was there someone in Atlanta? Who was well-regarded in ophthalmology? Everything pointed to Dr. Allen Beck.
For a moment, a ripple of tension seems to escape from Mukharji's brow. After that first failed surgery, finding a skilled surgeon had become critical. Finding an ophthalmologist he could trust for the long haul was everything.
My father also had glaucoma, so there was a level of fatalism around the genetics of this diagnosis that I had to keep in check. And I did, he says.
But having glaucoma or anything with your eyes where blindness is an eventuality is very stressful no matter what. Your vision is like none of your other senses, so yeah, it's a big thing. But at the same time life goes on. You have other responsibilities - your family, your career - so you can't let it stop you.
In Allen Beck, Mukharji found an ophthalmologist who was on the same page. In addition to being an experienced surgeon and a respected glaucoma specialist, Beck brought a calm, focused demeanor to all of their interactions.
I come from a background of scientists, so I was curious about the details of the procedure - a trabeculectomy - and I had lots of questions, Mukharji says.
Dr. Beck would explain stuff in clinical and scientific terms, but he would also walk through them step by step. I was very appreciative of this approach, because, you know, the surgery is complicated and can be a bit scary at first. You are awake throughout.
But during the surgery, he had that same gentle, knowledgeable voice I was used to hearing. I always had the general sense that everything was completely under control. That was immensely comforting. And the proof is in the pudding, of course. He's a great surgeon. I had one surgery then, and another two years later. They were both successful.
Mukharji knows that his glaucoma diagnosis will require lifelong vigilance. Regular visits with a trusted ophthalmologist and strict adherence to all treatments. He considers himself lucky to have found a source for both.
I feel an enormous sense of gratitude to Dr. Beck and his team at the Emory Eye Center for preserving my vision. My goal, now, is to keep my eyesight long enough to outlast the rest of my body.
Laughter.
It looks like I might be able to do that.
-Kathleen E. Moore