A fundraiser for 30-year-old Sasikanth Reddy Donthireddy, who died in the US after suffering from a cardiac arrest, claimed that the Indian man was under a lot of stress as he never got picked up in the H-1B lottery. The fundraiser aims to raise money to send Reddy’s body back to India. Sasikanth came to the US in 2018 to study and completed a double master’s degree. But he never got picked up by the H-1B visa lottery despite trying multiple times. “The repeated disappointments and visa uncertainty caused him a lot of stress, especially in the last several months,” the appeal said. At a time when the H-1B visa program has earned a bad name because of alleged fraud, abuse, Sasikanth’s story, as narrated by the fundraiser, reveals the struggle of Indians in the US who do not land desirable jobs. It showed how, despite having strong qualifications, he was never selected in the lottery and he continued working long hours without giving up. “He continued working long hours without giving up. In the early morning of February 16th, he complained of chest pain. He was rushed to the hospital immediately, but sadly, he could not be saved,” it said. “Since moving abroad in 2018, Sasikanth had not been able to visit his parents. For almost 8 years, they waited to see their son return home. They hoped to welcome him back with pride and joy. Instead, they are now waiting to bring him home for his final rites,” it said. “His grieving parents are facing not only emotional pain but also financial hardship. The cost of transporting his body back home and arranging the final ceremonies is very high. We humbly ask for your support to: Help repatriate Sasikanth’s body home; Support his parents during this heartbreaking time,” it said.
