Body of KZN graduate brought home after she suffered cardiac arrest in India

TWO months ago, former Durban woman Mikaila Chetty achieved her dream of being called “doctor” when she graduated with her PhD in Forensic Toxicology.

However, Chetty, 28, who was living in Delhi, India, died after she suffered cardiac arrest on April 18.

Her body arrived in South Africa on Friday and her funeral took place at the Clare Estate Crematorium on Saturday.

Speaking to the POST, her aunt Vanitha Moodley said Chetty’s sudden death had devastated them.

“How do we begin to say goodbye to someone whose presence was as vibrant and vital as the colours of Holi? Mikaila was someone who, even in her silence,

lit up every space she entered.”

Moodley said Chetty, formerly of Glenwood, together with her mother, Priscilla, and elder sister, Yovana, had relocated to India about 13 years ago.

“At the time, Mikaila was still in high school. However, she was such a brilliant child that she had even skipped two grades. When they relocated, she attended Podar International School, in Mumbai, which is affiliated to Cambridge University, and completed her A-levels.

“She achieved academic excellence and received a scholarship from the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) to further her studies. She graduated with her Bachelors degree in Biotechnology at the Burdwan University in Kolkata, and thereafter her Master’s degree in Zoology at Goa University.

“But she still wanted to achieve her dream of becoming ‘Dr Mikaila Chetty’, and pursued her PhD in Forensic Toxicology at the prestigious National Forensic Sciences University in Gujarat. Over the past few years, she gathered not just degrees, but knowledge, perspective and an ever-widening circle of people who admired and adored her. She also did all of this with determination, and carved her name into the world of science and service,” she said.

Moodley said the family were informed of her passing while preparing for her maternal grandmother’s one-year memorial service.

“At the time, Mikaila’s mother, who is my elder sister, was in South Africa, as we were preparing for our mother’s memorial which was going to be held on May 1. Mikaila was living in an apartment in a building for female students in Delhi. However, on that day, my sister could not get hold of her, so she contacted the landlord requesting for someone to check on her. Sadly, she was found unresponsive in her apartment.

“My sister and I flew to India the following day as we needed to identify her. We were left heartbroken when we saw our child. A post-mortem confirmed she suffered cardiac arrest.

“We were shocked as she lived a healthy lifestyle. While cleaning out her apartment, we saw all of her food – healthy items including vegetables, fruit and even her salad prep for the week. From everyone we spoke to, they said Mikaila went for a run every day, and never took a rickshaw. She preferred walking. So, we are shocked at her passing.

“What also overwhelmed me is that single person I met, from professors, colleagues, students, friends, even the cleaning staff and drivers at Mikaila’s university, had only glowing things to say about her, such as ‘Mikaila mam helped me’, ‘Mikaila didi listened and never judged’, and ‘She made my day better’,” she said.

Moodley added that not even in their worst nightmares, did they think that Chetty would one day need a forensic autopsy.

“She, who had studied death to help the living, became the subject of the very field she mastered. More so, her post-mortem was conducted by a professor who had once proudly taught her how to perform post-mortems and the results were tested at her very own university. The heartbreak of that is something words would never fully capture.” Moodley said she had last spoken to Chetty a few days before her passing.

“We are both quite busy in our lives, but we would make sure to do a weekly call to catch-up. When we spoke, she was perfectly healthy and was preparing for the G20. Mikaila was very involved in foreign relations and worked closely with the ICCR. She was also closely associated with the South African High Commission in New Delhi and the Indian Consulate in Durban. She took an interest in anything that involved relations between South Africa and India.

“Mikaila was also looking forward to moving to Australia to start a new job. However, she was first going to take a bit of a break and go on holiday to Bali,” she said.

Moodley added that Chetty lived a life of “purpose and impact”.

“Even as a little girl, Mikaila stood out – a simple, loving child with a quiet strength. She was deeply independent from a young age, wise beyond her years, and remarkably self-motivated. She didn’t need to be pushed; she had a natural drive that set her apart.

“Mikaila was also incredibly close to her grandparents and her aunts – a true family girl who soaked up their love and wisdom with quiet gratitude. Whether she was playing in the garden or helping in the kitchen, she had this calm presence that made you want to draw closer.

“She may be gone from this physical world, but her light, work and love will all live on,” she said.

The POST