A single mum battling with cancer graduated from UCLan with first class honours.
Prestonian Laura Gavaghan has recently graduated at the University of Lancashire with a First in Deaf Studies and British Sign Language despite a battle with breast cancer.
Determined to continue her studies while undergoing both a mastectomy and chemontherapy in her first and second year of studying, Laura talked about her struggles with studying for a degree, cancer diagnosis and looking after her son, alone.
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She said: “Despite being absolutely floored by my diagnosis and the brutal treatment I still attended all my classes and continued to raise my six-year-old son Jack by myself.
“I lost my hair, my appetite, my energy and my confidence but the phrase I remember most, and that I passed on to the other patients on the chemo ward, was positive mental attitude.”
After leaving Ashton Community Science College, Cardinal Newman College and Preston College with little qualifications, Laura applied for university when she was 31 after COVID-19.
Laura is now working as a specialist teaching assistant in Deaf Support at her former high school and is planning to apply for the University’s MA Interpreting course.
She added: “I want to help empower Deaf children, provide my skills to Deaf education and help shape Deaf education for the future.”
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