"It was a wonderful experience interacting with you and appreciate the way you have planned and executed the whole publication process within the agreed timelines.”
Subrat SaurabhAuthor of Kuch Woh Pal
My Life, My loves and Lots of Babies is the story of one woman’s remarkable drive and determination to follow her dream thereby becoming one of the most eminent doctors of her generation. She succeeded against all the odds, overcoming illness as well as the actions of many others to thwart and undermine her. She benefited from a mother who encouraged her all the way and from the love of a husband who over the course of nearly 50 years remained her greatest advocate and supporter. From a small village in Palakkad district, Kerala, she rose to the top of her profession in the UK and then put all her energies and learning into creating one of the most eminent reproductive institutions in Chennai. Read her amazing journey – her trials, tribulations and challenges – but ultimately the story of her survival and success.
Dr Thankam Reshmi Varma
Dr Thankam Varma was born in Elappully in the Palakkad District of Kerala. Due to several childhood illnesses, she was unable to attend mainstream school until the age of twelve. However, her mother firmly believed that the education of all her children was of utmost importance, and so arranged for her to be taught at home. Having witnessed her mother have a miscarriage at the age of nine, she set her mind on becoming a doctor. She was awarded distinctions in all science subjects at school and successfully applied to the highly acclaimed Madras Medical College. For each of her five years of study, she was the highest ranked student and received many distinction medals and certificates. Despite this, after graduating in 1959, she was denied post-graduate studies in India and decided to broaden her horizons elsewhere.
After her marriage to Rama Kochunniappan Varma of the Tripunithura Royal family, she left India for the UK in 1965. During the next 30 years she worked in highly prestigious hospitals and became the first woman of colour to be made a Senior Consultant. On the wishes of her husband, they finally relocated permanently back to India in 1999. She spent the next 20 years as the Medical Director of the Institute of Reproductive Medicine (IRM) at Chennai’s famous Madras Medical Mission. Despite losing her beloved husband in 2010, she continued to dedicate herself to her work, and IRM became a nationally recognised centre of excellence for teaching, training and practice.
