BANGOR University student Amy Fanning had more reason than most to celebrate her graduation on Thursday.
Amy,23, gained a first class degree in psychology and criminology despite taking her finals while suffering from a serious brain condition.
She was diagnosed with Chiari malformation, where the brain presses down on the spinal chord, which can cause paralysis if left untreated.
The condition causes nausea and severe head pains and Amy said that although she thought that she would pass, she never expected to get a first class degree.
“I was worried about the surgery a couple of weeks later and when I get the bad pains I can’t do anything,” she said.
“On the exams days it was okish, but I did one exam with no revision at all.”
Symptoms first appeared in 2008 but doctors were unable to diagnose the condition until March this year.
“It was quite worrying, being passed from doctor to doctor and no one can give you any answers,” she said.
Chiari malformations are structural defects in the cerebellum, the part of the brain that controls balance.
When the indented bony space at the lower rear of the skull is smaller than normal, the cerebellum and brainstem can be pushed downward.
The resulting pressure on the cerebellum can block the flow of the fluid that protects the brain protects the brain and spinal cord and can cause dizziness, muscle weakness, numbness, vision problems, headaches and balance and coordination problems.
Amy, of Wallasey on Merseyside, relied on her parents, Hilary and Sean, for support during her fight against the condition.
“They’re both teachers so they’re good people to have around to proof read my essays!,” she said.
“My mum’s been to every doctor’s appointment and knows more about the condition than I do.”
She added that the getting through the course had been tough due to the symptoms and travelling to Merseyside for appointments.
“I was never in one place for more than a couple of days,” she said. “I was suffering from big headaches, nausea and tiredness and I couldn’t keep up, basically.”
Despite her health problems, Amy said that she enjoyed her time living and studying in Bangor and was grateful to university staff for their help.
“I feel sad to leave all my mates,” she said. “My third year course tutor, Professor Howard Davies guided me on what the options were when I had to delay a year.”
Amy underwent surgery at the Walton centre in Liverpool in June and hopes to work in the youth justice sector.
“I hope I’ve got a bright future ahead,” she said.