“I was suddenly shocked and surprised. I was seeing the name Kyrie Irving and immediately I googled his name,” Chandrashekhar Reddy Yedavelli said.
DALLAS — Sharath Yedavelli does not remember much from the crash on March 2.
Yedavelli, Vaani Yadlapati and a friend were returning from night classes at the University of North Texas. They were all studying to get their master’s in data science.
“It was raining actually and the driver didn’t see the vehicle coming.” said Sharath’s brother, Chandrashekhar Reddy Yedavelli.
The crash occurred at Valley Ranch and MacArthur Boulevard in Irving. Sharath has a broken collar bone, broken leg and several facial fractures and lost teeth.
It was one week later he learned his friend, Yadlapati, did not make it.
“We’re kinda in shock,” said family friend, Amarnadh Eedpuganti, who is mourning the loss of Yadlapati.
They are all from Hyderabad, India. Yadlapati, who the family calls a prodigy, at 20 years old was getting her master’s in data science at UNT. Family and friends described her as quiet and brilliant.
“She used to consume knowledge like anything,” said Eedpuganti.
They are all here on student visas with little to no insurance to pay for medical bills and a funeral. Yadlapati’s family tried GoFundMe — and what they ultimately would find was a well-known and generous donor.
“I was suddenly shocked and surprised. I was seeing the name Kyrie Irving and immediately I Googled his name,” said Chandrashekhar Reddy Yedavelli.
By far the highest donor for the fundraising page was from Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving. Irving had reportedly given a $38,000 donation to the families.
The families did not know who Irving was until they searched his name on Google. They admitted to WFAA that they mostly watch cricket and not basketball.
“[It’s about] little acts of kindness every single day. I do my best to have discernment of reading people’s foundational messages and their missions,” Irving said in a press conference in early March.
Irving is also linked to two other donations since becoming a Maverick. Irving donated to two causes designed to help an orphanage and a school in Africa.
The money will help both families. Yadlapati’s body was taken back to India for a proper burial and Yedavelli will need months of rehab.
“Everybody has money but no one has the heart to donate it,” said Chandrashekhar Reddy Yedavelli. “A big thanks for helping us and our family.”
The families told WFAA that one day they’d like to meet Irving.
Eedpuganti had reached out to Irving to say thanks over social media. “I’m his newest fan,” he said.