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SINGAPORE – When Nuraini Mohamed Faizal, 16, was in High School 1 in 2017, she was diagnosed with familial adenomatous polyposis, an inherited disorder that causes abnormal growth in the colon and turns into cancer if not treated with surgery.
“I was sad because I wasn’t expecting it to come at such a young age, and I was also shocked because it was a serious condition for me at the time,” said Bowen High School student, who was among 13,380 students who sat down and passed the N-level exams this year. They received their results on Thursday (December 17).
His mother, who also has the condition, developed stage 2 cancer as a result of it in mid-2016, and his 14-year-old sister also suffers from similar tissue growths.
Due to the diagnosis, her doctor advised Nuraini to abandon her co-curricular activity (CCA), Malay dance, which Nuraini considers a passion, for the Library Club, which is less rigorous.
But Nuraini’s CCA wasn’t the only aspect of her life that was affected by the condition.
“I often feel very tired, even when I have very little to do,” she said.
“When I wake up in the morning, I feel very fatigued and often lose my appetite and have to go to the bathroom often due to growing polyps.”
In early 2019, her condition dealt another blow: excessive bleeding, leading to anemia. He had to undergo blood transfusions on a quarterly basis, each treatment lasting three to four hours.
“Having to cope with my studies while absent for medical appointments every three months was a challenge, and sometimes I had to skip lessons and find out what I missed about my friends,” said Nuraini, who also helps her mother with housework and supervises his medication.
Nuraini’s setbacks have not clouded her outlook on life, and she counts her late grandmother and mother as one of her pillars of strength.
“When my grandmother was diagnosed with cancer in 2016 (due to a similar condition), she never lost faith and continued to live life normally,” said Nuraini. His grandmother died in 2017.
“She never complained about the sadness that cancer brought into her life, and she always encouraged me to be thankful for everything that happens in life because it is predestined.
“My mother is also a cancer patient, but she has never used this as an excuse to be relaxed and always told me to stand my ground in the midst of my illness.” Her mother is an accountant at an engineering company, she said.
Even though Nuraini passed her normal (academic) exams and hopes to apply for a place in the Polytechnic Program Direct Entry Program to study design and media, deciding where to study next is not the only big decision she faces.
In 2019, a doctor recommended that the colon be removed to minimize the chance that the tissue growths would turn cancerous.
Nuraini has yet to decide on elimination.
“I still have doubts because life will not be the same. There are side effects and I will feel uncomfortable often,” she said, adding that the surgery will likely leave her in need of stoma bags.
But Nuraini continues to look positively to the future, aspiring to be a lawyer, and is grateful for the constant support of her teachers during her journey to high school.
One you will never forget is the head of the year, Ms. Bernice Kuan, who was in charge of the Secondary 4 and 5 cohorts.
“Since he found out about my condition (when I was) in Secondary 1, he never stopped reaching out to me, making sure I’m okay, telling me inspiring stories and reminding me that this condition will not prevent me from achieving my dreams.” Nuraini said.
“She spoke to me twice a month and I always felt comfortable with her, as if a burden was lifted from me after that.”
She said her optimism has kept her going as she believes “after a hurricane comes a rainbow,” quoting a line from Katy Perry’s song Firework.
He also paid tribute to his teachers when he collected his N-level results on Thursday, Crest Secondary School student Xander Ng, 17, who lost his mother to cancer when he was 12. He recovered from the loss to become “mature, sensitive and very empathetic,” said his collaborating professor Chang Yi Ping.
He cited a case in which he disciplined his class for behavior problems. Xander had approached her later to tell her that he understood her and appreciated her for scolding the class.
Xander said: “Whenever I am depressed, my teachers will always be there. Although they can be very strict at times, I understand that it is because they want what is good for us.”
Ms. Chang said that Xander’s story struck a chord with her, as he had lost his mother when he was just four years old. “I shared his emotions and sadness,” he said.
On what keeps her motivated as a teacher, she said: “Seeing my students go through adversity and challenges, seeing them work hard to thrive on their own victories, that really drives me.
“Watching them grow at their own pace, mature in their thoughts. Gaining a good sense of themselves and having confidence in themselves, and developing a forward-thinking purpose and desire to improve the quality of their lives really makes me very proud of they. . “
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