Lakshmi Madireddi: He saw opioid addiction coming, but couldn’t fight it alone

My father, Dr. Sivarama Krishna Madireddi, moved to Modesto 30 years ago. When he arrived in Modesto, he felt very at home with both the people and the physicians. He had lived numerous places worldwide but truly fell in love with Modesto.

Fifteen years ago he became alarmed at the rising incidence of opiod abuse and spiraling drug addiction. He worried daily for his community and spoke to me often about his concerns. Then he became active in addiction treatment, but was limited by the patients’ inability to afford the holistic treatments and medications. The medications are often effective and allow the individual to regain their lives. He cared and endlessly worried about patients who, by the ravages of the disease, lost the ability to respect themselves. He was always available to serve those in need. He was a pioneer and predicted the sad future.

After his sad passing, the tide is changing. Addiction treatment has finally become a timely topic and the stigma is diminishing. My father desperately wanted Modesto to thrive.

Please write to your congresspersons for financial assistance to support those suffering from drug dependencies.

This story was originally published July 5, 2016 at 5:42 PM with the headline "Lakshmi Madireddi: He saw opioid addiction coming, but couldn’t fight it alone."