I was so excited when Vandana called to say she was in Dehradun for a meeting and would like to drop in to visit. Vandana has been a legend in my mind for as long as I have known her. I first met her in 1995 when I took Moy Moy to be assessed at the Spastics Society of North India (now AADI). She is a pediatric occupational therapist and at that time she was working full-time at SSNI. Later, she became the director, and now, while still heavily involved in its work and on its Board of Governors, she works as an independent consultant on disability issues.

The Foundation owes a tremendous debt to AADI for all its support, advice and guidance in our early years. Vandana, Gloria, Shaymala, Shalini, Madhumati and all the other lovely people who work(ed) there helped us in more ways than I can count, including introducing us to Shaila Faleiro, our very first special educator, and to Mr Gulati, the talented orthotist who still comes to Dehradun regularly to assess and treat our kids. It’s been a wonderful association and it continues to grow.

Now when I meet Vandana I try to drop the hero-worship thing (I just discovered I am a few months older than she is, so it’s suddenly easier!) and relate as a colleague. Moy Moy found a bit boring, as all we did was talk shop, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to hear the views of this very wise, very experienced woman. She stayed for a little over two hours and we had dinner together and traded stories and ideas and reflections and the time flew by and she was gone before I knew it, leaving me eager to continue the conversation – in Delhi, or in Dehradun again. Some people are too good to be true!