They first appeared as ulcers on his tongue and gums. It then appeared as blisters at the angle of his mouth. His father thought it could be a dental problem and took him to a local dentist who gave him a few rounds of ‘wash’. It didn’t get better. Months later the blisters spread to the rest of his body and formed ulcers that took a very long time to heal. It was then the family realised that something was really wrong. ‘We took him to a well-known hospital nearby and got him admitted,’ his father recollects.

However, the blisters only increased and he was forced to withdraw from the treatment prescribed there. The family was flummoxed. By now Sarvesh not only suffered from constant itching, ulcers that did not heal but also found it difficult to carry out day-to-day activities – he couldn’t eat properly, even a little bit of spice would be difficult to ingest. He found it hard to pass motions, and even an activity such as sitting was not possible because of the blisters. He remembers that he sat crooked. He had to forego a month and a half at school because of their search for a cure. ‘We thought he would die,’ his father says recollecting the helplessness that besieged the family. They even resorted to divine intervention at a temple in Mandya. He was given some native medicine and there was a temporary relief. But the blisters just wouldn’t go away.

He had been to many hospitals and was given steroids and various immunosuppressive medications. Meanwhile one of the father’s clients at a legal firm where he worked at recommended them to Cutis. They finally decided to visit in October 2016 and was seen by Dr Pavan. ‘Within a day the doctors were able to identify and diagnose my son’s condition,’ the father says. ‘We were thrilled to know the cause, finally!’ However, he expected the hospital to have him admitted but the doctors politely told him that it wasn’t necessary. On advice by Dr Chandrashekar, they were prescribed an infusion of biologics and dispensed with creams for the night. ‘That very night I saw the difference!’ says Sarvesh.

Over the next few months, Sarvesh got better and better. ‘I have great respect for the doctors here,’ the father adds, ‘if it wasn’t for them I am not sure what we would have done.’ Now, it is unlikely to even tell that Sarvesh had Pemphigus vulgaris, an autoimmune skin condition.

The use of Biologics has created a major breakthrough in treating such autoimmune conditions. Sarvesh is back to his former, cheerful self. He has just finished his 10th exams and plans to pursue a career in science. No more staying away from school or the sun, and certainly not from sports. He eagerly looks forward to his volleyball tournament in Srilanka this June.