Life as a neurodivergent preemie – with Preeti Kalra
Preeti Kalra talks about how her physical disabilities and neurodivergence affected her academic studies and shaped the direction of her career.
Preeti Kalra is a Hospital Clinical Pharmacist with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and a Masters in Health Administration. She is the Director of Partnerships and Communications and Chicago Network Lead for WE ARE SAATH, an organization dedicated to advocating for South Asian mental health and defying the stigma in the South Asian community when it comes to talking and seeking therapy for mental health.
She is also on the Associate Board for March of Dimes, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving maternal health and ending preventable premature birth within the United States.
Preeti was born prematurely. In this episode, she talks about her experience as a preemie and as a member of the South Asian community, including:
- The circumstances of her birth as a preemie and how that affected her health as a child
- How she discovered that she was neurodivergent and how that impacted her life as a South Asian woman and as a preemie
- How her neurodivergence affected her academic studies and shaped the direction of her career
- Some potential long-term effects of being born a preemie, and why is it important to consider those effects when those babies become adults
- Her research on premature birth and the current state of maternal healthcare in South Asian countries
- How parents can be good advocates for their preemie children
Follow Preeti on Instagram @pkalra33 or email her at pkalra33 at gmail dot com. Learn more about the Adult Preemie Advocacy Network at AdultPreemies.com/resources.
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.
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