Dr. Ramnik Mehta , our founder, was an extraordinary man with an impossible mission that he made possible. Through his own life experiences and driven by the iron willpower of his mother, Daya Ben, a tiny uneducated lady who against all odds pushed her son to become a doctor and whose story inspired the foundation of Devdaya Charitable Trust, Ramnik Mehta became the self-made man he was. A man of principle with the purest of souls and an unmatched faith in his Goddesses and an uncanny ability to show unconditional to all he would come across.
After dedicating over 40 years to the National Health Service and private healthcare services, Dr. Ramnik Mehta retired and dedicated his time to his vision, Devdaya Charitable Trust. In 2004, Dr.Ramnik Mehta and Mr.Lalitbhai Mehta joined hands and formed the Devdaya Charitable Trust, with the intention of providing education and healthcare to those most in need. Since being founded Ramnik Mehta and his wife Bhanu Mehta who is also a trustee, both traveled to India multiple times a year to help with projects for the charity as well as helping with procedures, buildings, and whatever else was needed. Both of them have worked dedicatedly and given their heart and soul in order to help those who need it most. The work both they and the other trustees and workers have done helped towards building healthcare and educational infrastructure for less fortunate children, including eye camps to help cure child blindness, multiple primary and secondary schools being built, a computer center, primary health care center, and the NR Doshi hospital with all of the latest equipment for treatments.
As a family man, he left no stone unturned, showing unconditional love to his wife, Bhanu Mehta, with whom he shared a beautiful 54-year partnership, and to his son, Devesh, and 3 grandchildren, Esha, Rajeev, and Rhea. He was the rock and backbone for his entire extended family and beyond. There was never a time he would turn somebody away.
Friends, family, patients, co-workers even strangers, he would offer his advice or guidance and he never failed to give them exactly what was needed and they would all leave with a sense of hope and confidence that whatever issue they had, things would work out. Through his wisdom, connections, or financial help, there was nothing he wouldn't do to solve the problems people would come to him for. His kindness had no limit nor did his drive. Ramnik Mehta made sure to always show respect and love to anyone he came across, whether they were a simply a driver or a billionaire, the respect never wavered. He touched so many people’s lives and made a lasting impression on everyone he met. He has helped countless people and his vision will continue to do so through the Devdaya Charitable Trust. This respect and adoration he showed others were reciprocated and can be seen in just how many people, from lifelong friends to people who had only come across this extraordinary man a handful of times, were completely broken by the news of his passing.
All the patients he helped whilst with the NHS will never forget him, both for his extreme professionalism as well as his unforgettable charm, the staff he worked with for his level of respect he showed to them all, and the fact no matter what, he would make time to ask how they were. Neither will everyone at Devdaya who, although he was their boss would call him Bhaijee, again emphasizing that he would treat people as though they were family and would therefore get that same treatment back no matter where he went. All the children in Wankaner and the small surrounding villages for building twenty schools for some of the poorest children. providing them with opportunity and in many cases, simply a decent meal a day and some safety from the harsh reality of their world, owe this man a debt of gratitude, even though the man himself would never see it like that. These are children who are exposed to child marriages and unfortunately also the disgusting traffickers who prey on the poor. We can't save them all but we have saved many and at the very least provided hope. The same can be said for the children and adults who have visited NR Doshi eye hospital (a million people to date) and especially those where operations or early screening from the mobile units have saved their eyesight. All of us at Devdaya would like to say thank you and to say with full confidence that we will work as tirelessly as our founder did and to continue pushing his mission and work in his honor to fulfill his wishes.
Devdaya was the platform he built to give hope to the less fortunate and we will build on this legacy to help as many people as is humanly possible.