An NY teacher recalls “An ordinary girl with an xtraordinary story”…
Karen (not her real name) was a student of NYJC in 2004/2005. Her grades were mediocre and barely managed to pass her promotional exams. Her life was no different from any other JC student, struggling to manage both studies and CCA commitments.
One day after CCA training in 2004, she came to see me (her CCA teacher), asking to be excused from the next training session as she had to accompany her mother to collect her medical report. A few days later, I saw her sitting in the canteen with a friend and she was in tears. Karen’s mother had contracted liver cancer. The doctor diagnosed it as Stage Three as the cancer cells have spread to other organs and operation was not an option.
It was shocking news to the family and the following months were trying times as her mother went through many sessions of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In the midst of this family crisis, Karen continued to attend school faithfully, accompanied her mother to therapy sessions whenever she could and tried to cope with the stress of her mother’s illness on top of a hectic school life.
A few months passed and the doctor found that they still could not locate the primary source of the cancer. The chemotherapy sessions have failed. In addition, the numerous chemotherapy sessions were debilitating her physical strength. However, Karen’s mother never stopped going for her chemotherapy sessions and put on a strong front as she did not want her two schooling daughters to worry.
As the sole breadwinner of the family, Karen’s mother was worried about what would happen to Karen in the future should she no longer be around. That was why she wanted Karen to do well for her ‘A’ Levels as it was her belief that good grades were a step to ensuring a secure future.
Karen told me that her father had hardly cared nor provided for the family. Besides having to cope with the stress of her mother’s illness and a multitude of family problems, Karen was also uncertain about her future as she knew that she could not rely on her father to provide for her and her younger sister when her mother was no longer around.
Karen sat for her ‘A’ levels in Nov 2005. Two days after she finished her exams, her mother eventually passed away after a year-long battle with cancer. When the ‘A’ level results were released the following year, she scored BCC and a C6 for GP. Under normal circumstances, that may not be the best results but considering what she had to go through for the entire year, I felt that it was commendable effort on her part. With her grades, she should be able to get into a university to pursue a tertiary education to ensure a better future and fulfil her mother’s wish.
*nyjcians, past and present, do you have an inspiring story to tell as well? do email us at nyleaders@gmail.com to tell us more….
