From Idea to Reality: The Evolution of Valley Breathe

As the President and Founder of Valley Breathe, I, Varsha Ramachandran started Valley Breathe in memory of my grandfather Margasahayam who passed away from a lung disease called pulmonary fibrosis. Throughout my life, my grandfather has always been someone I looked up to. He was calm and collected and his “glow” resonated and filled the people around him with life.

 

My grandpa was a dedicated, loyal person; there was not a single day where he did not take me to golf practices or school. 2019 was not my best year: I was having a difficult time changing schools, and my grandfather was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis. (Pulmonary fibrosis is a life threatening disease which, essentially, “scars,” the lungs.). Just in 2016, he was caddying me in hundred degree heat and lifting weights. My grandfather was one of the healthiest and athletic people I know; how could someone in such good condition now be in such a position? Initially, I pushed it off and tried not to think much of it because life was not changing much and carried on as usual. It was not until summer when I realized how dire the situation was.

 

In August, my grandfather came to my last US kids golf world championships. During my practice round, he was taken to the ER and ended up being put on a ventilator. We were told he only had a few days to live. I remember being so shocked that I was unable to cry; everything was happening so fast. After two weeks, my grandfather passed away. I knew that dwelling over past instances will get me nowhere, so instead I looked towards the future.

 

Before my grandfather's passing, lung diseases, or diseases in general, were never something I found to be a problem; I was never really aware of them. After his death, I realised how short life was and that diseases can make life take a drastic turn. Pulmonary diseases, especially, worried me for their spontaneous occurrences, and that worry was elevated with the onset of COVID that affected the lungs directly. In many ways my grandfather’s death made me more aware of what was happening around me. Towards the end of 2020, I decided to work on Valley Breathe. While researching the risk factors for various lung diseases, I found that nicotine has a huge effect on the likelihood of developing lung diseases. Every day, many children and teenagers are pulled into an endless cycle of smoking and vaping addiction. With COVID on the rise, people are exposed to an even bigger risk. It started as a club at my high school, and slowly expanded into an organization to create awareness with elementary and middle school kids and Santa Clara country community on the dangers, risks and effects of smoking and vaping and the addiction it causes. In 2021, Valley Breathe received a 3500 dollar grant project from Santa Clara County where our volunteers educated students in elementary schools on the harmful effects of smoking and vaping. The goal of Valley Breathe is to help give everyone a chance to breathe and experience God’s wonderful world.