Devinia Lavan-Iswaran speaks to Julie Bissett about her experiences with domestic abuse and how she pulled herself up from rock bottom to excel in life and dentistry.
Life is full of challenges, but it is how we rise above them that defines us. However, you get the distinct feeling that Devinia Lavan-Iswaran – known as ‘Coco’ – is keen to kick back on that premise. There is little indication of the abominable domestic abuse and horrific marriage breakdown she endured, except for the oftentimes fleeting inclusion of it in her lectures and on episodes of the Dental Leaders podcast and, more recently, on The Dental Woman’s Podcast, where she spoke extensively on the ordeal as a guest.
Rollercoaster ride
At the time of the abuse and subsequent arrest of her husband and father of her kids, Devinia was shocked to find herself in such a scenario. Her life made miserable by her ex-husband, she found strength knowing she had an overnight bag she’d secretly stored at her practice for the moment she might have to flee.
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