Himanshu Patel’s Story

I lived in Mumbai, India, where I worked in investment banking operations. I enjoy doing anything and everything to do with the outdoors - running, cycling, hiking. I've also developed an interest in reading.

In 2016, I was diagnosed with multidrug-resistant pulmonary TB. I was fortunate to start the right treatment at the right time. My biggest hurdle was fighting the side-effects of the drugs – from peripheral neuropathy, to experiencing partial hearing loss and battling depression. It wasn’t easy, but emerging from it made me more appreciative of things and people around me. It took 2 years for me to recover. During my TB journey, I came across people with extreme drug-resistant TB, people who went through months of medicines and misdiagnosis, and people who were just mentally and physically exhausted because of the disease and because they felt let down by the system.

I wanted to help others affected just as I was helped. I joined Survivors Against TB, a community-based movement for TB survivors in India. I moved to Canada in 2022 and I’ve been looking for ways to support people with TB. It led to me to TBpeople Canada, where I’ve had the opportunity to meet people with journeys similar to mine, and our interactions have been so empowering and reinvigorating!