Yarlagadda Rajyalakshmi, 23, had ambitions not only to live the American dream but also to support her family back home in Karamchedu, Andhra Pradesh’s Bapatla district. That dream ended abruptly on Friday when she died in her sleep at an apartment she shared with friends in Texas.
According to her family, she had been sick, with a severe cough and chest pain, for the past few days, and had sought a doctor’s appointment.
Raji, as she was affectionately called by her family and cousins, had recently completed her MS in Computer Science from Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, and was looking for a job. A relative said that she had gone to the US for a master’s degree after completing her B.Tech from Gudlavalleru College in Krishna district.
“On November 6, she spoke to her parents. She mentioned that she was suffering from a severe cough and cold. She had taken a doctor’s appointment for November 9. On Friday night, she went to sleep after having dinner with her friends. The next morning, when she did not wake up despite her alarm going off, her friends checked up on her and found her unresponsive. She was declared dead at a local hospital,” the relative said.
Her cousins and friends have set up a GoFundMe page to raise funds to repatriate the body to her home once the autopsy is complete. As of November 10, $125,185 had been raised.
Raji’s cousin, Y Chaitanya, who is based at Denton, Texas, wrote on the fund page: “With heavy hearts, we share the sudden passing of our youngest cousin, Rajyalakshmi Yarlagadda (alias Raji). A recent Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi graduate, she came to the USA with hopes of building a better future for her family, who rely on their small farmland. She was looking for a job to begin her professional career. Raji had been sick with a severe cough and chest pain for two–three days. Tragically, on the morning of November 7, she did not wake up while her alarm rang, leaving her family and friends heartbroken.”
“She was a bright, hopeful soul who dreamed of helping her parents continue their farming journey. Raji’s family has always found strength and purpose in the small piece of farmland in their village. Their crops and animals are more than a source of income. Their youngest, Raji, carried a heart full of hope for the future, dreaming of helping her parents build a better tomorrow. As Raji’s family grieves this unimaginable loss, we are reaching out to our friends and loved ones for support. We are raising funds to help cover her educational loans, funeral, travel expenses (to move her body to her homeland), and some financial support to her family,” Chaitanya wrote.
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Raji’s father, Y Ramakrishna, is a farmer, and her mother, Nagamani, takes care of their home. “The family is devastated, inconsolable,” the relative said.
