Copake, New York, April 14, 2025: Dr. Joy Saini, an Indian-American urogynecologist and founder of Boston Pelvic Health & Wellness, died alongside her husband and two adult children when a small private plane crashed into a muddy field near Copake, New York, over the weekend. The six victims—all family members or partners—were en route to a birthday and Passover celebration in the Catskills when tragedy struck.
Dr. Saini, originally from Punjab, India, was a respected physician in the Boston area, known for her compassionate care and dedication to women’s health. She immigrated to the U.S. with her parents, Kuljit and Gurdev Singh, and earned her medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh, where she met her husband, Dr. Michael Groff, a neurosurgeon and Harvard associate professor. The couple shared a deep bond through medicine and family.
Also lost in the crash were their daughter, Karenna Groff—a former MIT soccer star, NCAA Woman of the Year in 2022, and NYU medical student—and their son, Jared Groff, a Swarthmore College graduate and aspiring law student. Karenna’s longtime partner, James Santoro, and Jared’s partner, Alexia Couyutas Duarte, also perished. All six were aboard the twin-engine Mitsubishi MU-2B aircraft, which Dr. Groff was piloting when it went down after missing an approach to Columbia County Airport.
Dr. Saini’s medical practice was based in Wellesley, Massachusetts, where she was affiliated with Newton-Wellesley Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She was widely admired not only for her clinical expertise in pelvic reconstructive surgery but also for her warmth and advocacy on behalf of her patients. Colleagues describe her as a trailblazer and healer who touched countless lives.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the crash, which occurred under muddy and challenging terrain conditions. Early reports suggest the plane was structurally intact before impact.
