Time is Life: The Journey of Ketan Goyal — Battling Vasculitis and Inspiring Awareness

On 7 October 2023, 21-year-old Ketan, a charming fellow of Computer Science, while preparing for his final exams at the hostel, experienced a sudden severe headache and weakness in his right leg and arm. He was later admitted to a hospital with a diagnosis of STROKE. A neurologist examined him and he was given blood thinners. He was improving and was gaining strength with physiotherapy.

But this was not the end of the episode. Pain reoccurred. It was sharp, twisting, and pressurizing all over the abdomen, persisting the whole day. None of the pain killers were working on him except narcotics. He was now living on intravenous fluids and total parenteral nutrition. Even the sips of water used to aggravate his abdominal pain. Many physicians and surgeons were consulted at many pioneering medical institutes but to bad luck, his pains had no diagnosis.

Until after one and a half months of struggle, on 27 November 2023, his diagnosis was reached by the Rheumatology department of PGIMS Chandigarh. He was diagnosed with a rare subset of vasculitis known as DADA2. He was admitted and the devoted doctors there helped him to come out of his pain. His reliance on narcotics was gradually eliminated. He was managed with newer medicines including TNF inhibitors and was discharged in two months with regular follow-ups.

In these two months, with his strong willpower and fighting spirit, he came out of his agonizing state. He had started eating normal diets and was regaining his lost weight and strength. His every moment was shared and supervised by dedicated doctors.

However, on 23 February 2024, Ketan developed a serious blood infection, due to which he was admitted again to PGI. But unfortunately, after battling with disease and its complications for the last four months, our fighter succumbed to sudden cardiac arrest the following day of admission.

A Dying Wish — To Raise Awareness

Even in the midst of his struggles, Ketan's thoughts turned to others. He expressed a dying wish to raise awareness about his disease. He had plans to write a book about his ordeal and wanted to share his experiences of Vasculitis. He used to ask: why were other doctors not able to diagnose him?

This reminds us of the value of time taken in diagnosing such diseases. If it had been diagnosed earlier — could the story have ended differently? It has been realized that unawareness leads to losing time. A crucial time is lost before a patient reaches good hands. This lost time costs a lot to the sufferers — physically, emotionally, mentally, as well as economically — and takes away many precious moments of life. An average lost time is about 4–6 years among many patients, and many others may not have access at all. "Time is Life" is probably a true slogan to beat this kind of unawareness.

His Legacy Lives On

In his last desire and loving memory, the Ketan Goyal Foundation (KGF) in association with Vasculitis Society of India stands as a beacon of hope and support for all those facing similar challenges. Let us honour his memory by spreading awareness, supporting one another, and cherishing every moment of our lives.

Let us come together and work to reduce the losses a sufferer bears — time, money, friends, emotions…

Let his spirit and legacy endure within us, reminding us to live with kindness, to live with empathy, and with unwavering determination to make a difference.