A Tragedy in Texas: Indian American Doctor, Dancer, Mother of Five Killed in Houston Car Crash
- Mini Vettical was on her way home from work when her car was hit by a speeding motorcycle on Dec. 7.
Friends and family have been flooding social media to remember Houston doctor Mini Vettical who died in a car accident on Dec. 7. “Angel,” “selfless,” “humble” and “kind,” are some of the words used to describe the 52-year-old mother of five, according to a KHOU 11 report. Vettical was on her way home from work when her car was hit by a speeding motorcycle. She was a faculty member at Baylor University and worked primarily at Harris Health clinics. She is survived by her wonderful husband, Celestine Vettical, and her five beautiful children, Pooja, Eesha, Diya, Dylan, and Aiden.
Apart from being a medical doctor, she was an avid dancer, painter and blogger, her husband, Celestine Vettical told KHOU 11. “It’s like, anything she touches, she puts her heart into it,” he told the news channel. He said his wife was “a unique individual,” who “never expected anything from anybody else, including from family.”He said his wife’s legacy will live on through all the good she did.
In addition to medically helping underserved populations throughout Houston, she was actively involved in organizations like Pratham Houston and the Houston Area Women’s Center. She was also a class volunteer and involved in the church and dancing theater.
Pooja Vettical, the eldest of the five kids, told KHOU 11 that no matter how much Vettical had on her plate, “she always made time for her most important job of all – being a mom.” She said her mother was ”beautiful on the outside, but surely the most beautiful person on the inside,” who she’ll have as her inspiration. “And I know I will never live up to it, but I know that she will always be there as a role model.”
Gayathri Rao, a Houston-based realtor, who knew Vettical through common friends, said in a Facebook post that she “greatly admired her for being such a dedicated mom, a great physician , dancer , model , actress , philanthropist and the list goes on.”
Marie Myers, who was friends with Vettical for more than 20 years, told KHOU 11 that “she baked more cakes than any mother I know or any woman I know on the weekend.” Describing her as “just absolutely amazing,” Myers said Vettical “touched the hearts and lives of so many.”
In a statement, the university said Vettical “was devoted to caring for the underprivileged and underserved in Harris County at multiple health centers.” She will be missed by faculty and staff, the university said. Adding that “she leaves a gap that is hard to fill among her colleagues and patients.”
Vettical was born on Oct. 16, 1970, in Kuwait to Aleyamma and Paulose Kunnathu, according to her obituary on the Dignity Memorial website. She received her medical degree from the University of Texas and specialized in Internal Medicine. “Up to her last day, she was working to spread the love of God and created a video a week before she passed a Christian-inspired Indian classical dance which will be released posthumously,” the obituary said.