Over the last three years, Urvi has had the privilege of getting to know her Buddy. She explains that her Buddy reminds her of her grandmother, as they are both women who are in unfamiliar environments but recognize that there are positive aspects in every situation. Urvi’s relationship with her Buddy has been remarkable from the beginning. The first time the two met, they looked through a photo book that contained photos of Urvi’s Buddy and her loved ones. Urvi says her Buddy’s face lit up as she spoke of her past, her career, her children, and her home. The two had a wonderful conversation and Urvi’s Buddy was beyond excited to share her stories.
She has learned that her Buddy is a twin and is very close with her sibling, which reminds her of her own relationship with her sister. Her Buddy’s sister often brings gifts, cleans, and visits, which has made Urvi understand just how important showing up for loved ones is.
Alzheimer’s Buddies has given Urvi something to look forward to each week, and she has learned many things that she could only learn from her experience with her Buddy, such as learning how to have hard conversations with both kindness and appreciation. Urvi says she has also been able to learn about her Buddy’s life and gain valuable advice from her of which she can implement into her own life, such as appreciating the little things.
- Urvi Mahajan
Urvi currently attends John Hopkins University and is majoring in Neuroscience and Economics. As to why she joined Alzheimer Buddies, Urvi mentions that while growing up, her grandparents were her only exposure to the elderly. However, she says that she struggled to speak to them in Hindi, so she never had a true understanding of what it was like to speak to someone from an older generation and be able to relate to them. That is, until she joined Alzheimer Buddies. In joining, she says that she gained not only friendships, but also priceless, life-long lessons that she can carry with her throughout her life.
Urvi is a part of research, Child Life Volunteering, and is the captain of her dance team. In her spare time, she enjoys dancing, crocheting, reading, and playing board games with friends and family. Urvi’s future plans include attending medical school and becoming a doctor. She emphasizes that she wants to go into a speciality that will allow her to make both life-saving decisions and deep connections with her patients.