FLORIDA HOUSE DESIGNATES OCTOBER 2025 AS HINDU-AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell (D-Tampa) led a tribute on the House floor recently recognizing the vital contributions of Hindu-Americans across the state of Florida. Joined by several of her colleagues, Driskell celebrated the adoption of House Resolution 8053, which designates October 2025 as Hindu-American Heritage Month. It was officially adopted by publication in the House Journal on April 17, 2025.

To mark the occasion, Rep. Driskell welcomed a group of constituents and Hindu-American leaders to the House chamber, where they were honored and presented with a framed copy of the resolution.

“As a representative of a vibrant and diverse district with a significant Hindu-American population, I’m proud to introduce HR 8053,” said Rep. Driskell. “This resolution acknowledges the profound contributions of Hindu-Americans to Florida’s cultural richness, educational excellence, economic vitality, and philanthropic spirit. It was a joy to celebrate this moment with constituents and Hindu-American leaders from across the state.”
The resolution cites that 2025 marks the 132nd anniversary of the date Hinduism was officially introduced to the United States by Swami Vivekananda at the 1893 World’s Parliament of Religions in Chicago, Illinois, and the 125th anniversary of the date he founded the Vedanta Society in San Francisco, Calif.”

It mentions that Hindu-Americans are a highly educated demographic with a 77 percent college attainment rate. It acknowledges that Hindu organizations and individuals actively engage in seva, a Sanskrit word for selfless service, toward their fellow human beings through charity, public service, and the provision of free medical and legal services.

Furthermore, HR 8053 references to the many holidays and festivals celebrated by Hindu Americans such as Diwali, which falls on the 15th day of the eighth month, or the New Moon Day in the month of Kartika of the Vedic lunar calendar, which occurs during October or November and celebrates the triumph of good over evil and knowledge over ignorance, and is a time of peace, joy, and new beginnings.

Information for this story and photos were provided by Rep. Fentrice Driskell.

Thirty years of Living with a Kidney Transplant

Dr. M. P. Ravindra Nathan

How many of us get a chance to start a 'new life', a second life, after developing a serious disease like kidney failure? At the age of 47, the peak of my health and profession, I developed an incurable kidney disease called Ig A Nephropathy that would progress to kidney failure soon. My initial bewilderment and shock gave way to a whirlwind of emotions, including severe anxiety, depression and despair, not knowing what the future held for me.

That was when my sister stepped forward to donate one of her kidneys. Yes, I am that lucky recipient of a kidney transplant from my loving sister. Receiving a kidney from a living or cadaveric donor is truly life changing and I can vouch for this from my own experience, first as a patient with kidney failure and then a 30-year span of life as a successful kidney transplant recipient. And what is equally important is that I was able to continue my profession as a full-time cardiologist serving two hospitals and a large number of patients in my private practice, till I retired at 70 years of age.

Here is a brief chronology of what happened. When my creatinine climbed up to nearly 11 mg/dl (normal <1.3) which meant kidney function was down to just 10 percent, my nephrologist suggested, “Ravi, time has arrived for you to go on dialysis unless you can get a kidney transplant.” My sister in India agreed to willingly donate one of her kidneys but getting her to USA turned out to be a little complicated because the Madras American Consulate initially refused her visa initially but relented eventually. Then we decided to go to University of Minneapolis Medical Center for transplant surgery by Dr. John Najarian, considered to be one of the best kidney transplant surgeons in the world. And on that fateful day, Nov. 10, 1994, I received the precious kidney transplant from my loving sister Ratnam, truly a life-changing moment. Thank God, I am saved now, I thought.

“Not so quickly,” somebody seemed to say. My recovery was stalled with one complication after another. So many fiery ordeals, you wouldn’t believe. A second surgery to remove clots from the femoral and renal vein and later another clot in the leg followed by pulmonary embolism (clot in the lung). Then came a heart attack that needed an emergency angioplasty. Later, a surgery for a ruptured Achilles tendon in the right leg. I survived all those and continued with a happy life till my retirement. We took a trip to Europe and then several trips to India and everything was going well. Then came further setbacks.
It was early 2020. Covid-19 was spreading fast all over the world and already many had lost their lives. I happened to be vacationing in India when I developed a bout of angina that needed another angioplasty. And we had to get a quick flight from Kochi, India to Orlando before the airports closed. For the next five months, I was okay but then needed a coronary bypass surgery and a year later a permanent pacemaker implant too.

In the final analysis, there is no doubt that a 'pre-emptive' kidney transplant was the best treatment for my renal failure, a cure for the disease. I didn’t have to go through the process of hemodialysis and the many related complications. Also, transplant patients enjoy double the life expectancy compared to dialysis patients. However, just because you receive a matching kidney, don’t think everything is going to be hunky-dory from here onward. Many complications like heart problems, rejection issues, infections, etc., can occur, so you have to be quite vigilant throughout your life. The good thing is that all these are treatable but early diagnosis is the key. And my donor, my sister, aged 85 years, is also doing well with her one kidney, very heartening indeed.

As I celebrate the 30th anniversary – kidneyversary – of my transplant, I want everybody to know that kidney transplant is the best treatment for kidney failure and even if you encounter complications after surgery, with proper management you can recover and go on to lead a normal life. At present, nearly 100,000 people are on the waiting list for a deceased-donor kidney in the U.S. and many more in India, with an average waiting time of 3-5 years. Obtaining a kidney from a living donor eliminates that wait. Since we have two kidneys and we need only one kidney to live healthy, donating one kidney is quite safe for the living donor. What is more noble than that?

(For further details of my kidney transplant journey, read my book, “Second Chance -A Sister’s Act of Love.” www.amazon.com or www.bn.com)

Dr. M. P. Ravindra Nathan is a retired cardiologist, a writer, and his articles have appeared in “Medical Economics,” “Cortlandt Forum,” “Florida Journal of Medicine,” “India Abroad,” “Tampa Bay Times,” “Tampa Tribune,” “Hernando Today” and “Hernando Sun.” He is the author of two books, “Stories from My Heart, A Cardiologist's Reflections on the Gift of Life” and “Second Chance – A Sister’s Act of Love.”