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  Newsmakers   20 May 2017  Indian-origin cancer patient gets PhD in heart-warming gesture

Indian-origin cancer patient gets PhD in heart-warming gesture

THE ASIAN AGE
Published : May 20, 2017, 3:20 pm IST
Updated : May 20, 2017, 3:20 pm IST

The University of Toronto held a special convocation so that she could be awarded her degree

Precilla Veigas D’souza received her PhD in Medical Science one month before the annual convocation held by the university. (Photo: Youtube)
 Precilla Veigas D’souza received her PhD in Medical Science one month before the annual convocation held by the university. (Photo: Youtube)

Cancer is a deadly disease that can affect anybody at any time and people might lose hope after they get to know. However, an Indian-origin woman has beaten all odds to complete her lifelong wish of getting a PhD and a Canadian University responded with the kindest gesture because she told them she didn't have a lot of time.

According to a media report, Indian-origin student Precilla Veigas D’souza got the biggest surprise recently when the University of Toronto held a special convocation to award her her PhD in Medical Science. The 45-year-old mother who was diagnosed with a rare abdominal cancer in 2015 was told by her doctors that she wouldn’t survive long unless she underwent chemotherapy. The ambitious student who had already halfway through her dissertation fought the disease to complete it and get the degree.

Unfortunately, she did not know if she would be able to live another month till the annual convocation held by the college and so the University did the heart-warming act of awarding it to her before the grand celebration. The mother is survived by her husband and 15-year-old daughter Jadyn who she hopes to inspire along with many others to pursue their dreams.   

Precilla had always wanted to do her PhD but circumstances had prevented her from doing so before she moved to Canada with her family in 2003 but by 2005 her dream materialised and she started pursuing her dream to finally be able to accomplish it successfully to be awarded on May 9th this year.

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