Ravin
On the 12th February 2011 at approximately 6:00pm, our brother Ravin J Dattani sadly passed away. He was 29 years old. The exact cause of death is unknown as of yet; however the signs point to Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP). Ravin’s epilepsy started when he was 15 years old, he accepted it, and never let it rule his life.
Ravin was one of twelve grandchildren. The most important people in his life were his wife Reshma, dad Jayanti, mum Kirti, and younger sister Jalpa, along with his extended family.
Ravin was a very loving and adorable baby, with the cutest smile. He was also a very active baby and according to his mum he could not sit in his cot for any period of time and would always try to jump out and crawl around the room. Ravin was very cheeky as a child, when his mum would tell him to do his homework, he would hide behind his bed, hoping she would not find him. But of course she knew her son, and knew his hiding places, and Ravin would always end up doing his homework. He was a very confident child, and this confidence grew as he aged.
Ravin had a passion for cars from an early age, and his love of cars only grew as he got older. It was his uncle who bought him his first toy car, a little mini. Ravin and his dad would sit and play with his cars for hours. As an adult this love and knowledge of cars made him the first point of call for any family or friends considering a new car.
Ravin’s instinct was to protect and look after people. This was due to his upbringing and the values his parents instilled in him from a young age. Ravin and Jalpa shared a deep bond, they would not need to show it, but you could tell instantly how much Ravin loved Jalpa and how he always wanted to be there for her and protect her.
Ravin was the rock of the family. He took each and every family member under his wing, comforting, supporting, and directing us, no matter what.
Though we are all cousins, we are as close as brothers and sisters. One of the main reasons why we see ourselves in that way is due to Ravin. He always made sure we knew that family is the most important thing in the world, and in this respect it made us want to be more like him. For that Ravin, we thank you.
In all aspects of life Ravin showed strength of character, determination and always displayed perseverance in the face of adversity. Ravin never let it show when he was feeling down. He would bring warmth into the room with his gentle smile and heart of gold. We want to thank you Ravin, for being our brother, our friend, our teacher, and our sunshine when it was raining.
The family has decided to support Epilepsy Bereaved, as we believe the work they do is remarkable in raising awareness about SUDEP. In addition to raising funds for research into SUDEP, Epilepsy Bereaved also provides support for families, which we have found to be invaluable.
To raise money for Epilepsy Bereaved and research into SUDEP, we are participating in various events, and will continue to raise money and awareness in the future. We have been given tremendous support by many individuals in our fund raising activities in memory of Ravin. This really shows that Ravin not only had a magnificent impact on the family, but also on our extended family and friends.
We have set up a website in tribute to Ravin at
Our justgiving page to raise funds for Epilepsy Bereaved is http://www.justgiving.com/The-Dattani-Family
Life has changed, everything has changed.
We are the people we are today, due to the great influence Ravin had in our lives.
Ravin, we will always miss you.
The Dattani Family
