Illness no barrier for top student (From Western Telegraph)

Illness no barrier for top student

Allison John, who had undergone multiple transplant surgery, received the Academic of the Year Award from the Cystic Fibrosis Society at a star-studded awards ceremony in London recently.

Allison, from Fishguard, is currently completing her second year at Cardiff University, where she is studying to become a doctor. She is the only medical student in the country to have undergone transplant surgery and achieved a distinction in her first year.

Allison said: "When I found out I had been nominated, and then short-listed, I was shocked because I do not think what I have done is anything special. But it is a good thing for young people to see someone achieve something."

The award recognises Allison's determination as her A-level studies were thrown into disarray in 1995 when she needed a liver transplant at the age of 17.

She continued to study from hospital and home but could not quite manage the necessary grades to study medicine, so she enrolled on a BSc in Neuroscience.

When she underwent a heart and lung transplant in 1997, her studies were again forgotten until the following year when she was able to start her course once again. She eventually gained a 2.1 with honours and was then able to take up medical training at Cardiff.

Allison also enjoys excitement, as she proved recently with a sponsored abseil at St Davids.

Her next challenge is to abseil from the top of the Millennium Stadium later this summer.

"There is such bad publicity about transplants and it is good for people to see that they can achieve their goals - it gives people hope," she said. Five babies are born with Cystic Fibrosis every week in the UK.

It is the most common life-threatening disease in the country, attacking lungs and the digestive system, and effecting more than 2.3 million people.

CAPTION

Allison John, who has undergone multiple transplant surgery, received the Academic of the Year Award from the Cystic Fibrosis Society at a star-studded awards ceremony in London. Allison (centre), from Fishguard, is pictured after receiving the award from Sky Living presenters Richard Arnold and Tanya Brier. PICTURE: Cystic Fibrosis Trust.