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We very much appreciate your donations to SILA, the UK sarcoidosis charity. Sarcoidosis is a rare and poorly understood disease. In the majority of cases, it can be managed but in a small number of instances, it is aggressive and untreatable. This was unfortunately the case with Dr Venkataramana Rao, who very sadly passed away on 8th January 2017 as a result of a chest infection compounding the long-term consequences of his sarcoidosis.

Venkataramana Rao (commonly known as both Ramana or Venkat to his friends) was born in Chennai on 30th October 1939.

He completed his medical training at Madras Medical College, before moving to the UK in 1965 where he continued to specialise while working all over England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland as a junior surgeon. He eventually gained membership to the UK Royal College of Surgeons (Edinburgh). The family moved to Saudi Arabia where he practiced as a surgeon from 1982 to 1988. He returned to the UK and ended up at Ashford & St Peter's Hospital where he specialised in abdominal surgery, until his retirement in 2010.

Dr Rao had a few passions to which he dedicated his life. He loved being in the operating theatre and surgery was the earliest love to which he dedicated his professional career. Throughout his life, he retained a deep attachment to Chennai, the city of his birth, childhood and university days. He regularly went back to walk the city's bustling streets, visiting its myriad of temples and embracing its rich history. A devoted Hindu all of his life, Ramana Rao worked tirelessly and was completely dedicated to the Sri Venkataswara (Tividale Tirumala) Balaji Temple in Birmingham. It remains one of the greatest loves of his life.

Most of all, Ramana Rao was family man, namely a devoted husband to Ranjini and a loving (and very indulgent) father to Bhargavi. More recently, Ashwin joined this nuclear unit as his son-in-law (and literally became a prince in the house, who simply could do or say no wrong). We, his family are forever grateful to those who showed him love, care and respect over the past months as well as to his dedicated medical and palliative care teams.

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We thank you for your generosity.