Living away from home is already a cultural shock for most teenagers on the threshold of higher education but the independence of ‘standing on her own two feet’ takes on a new twist for Arisha Maisarah Nasruddeen who is in the far south of the country.
Arisha, 20, who suffers from ‘Hereditary Motor Sensory Neuropathy with Bilateral Foot Drop’ or a weak ankle problem, has had to wear support braces on both her feet since she was six years old.
Suffering from a weak ankle problem that limits movement has not hampered this spirited student from Lahat, Perak to independently study for a Bachelor of Chemical Science at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) here.
Weak ankles certainly don’t stand in her way as Arisha, the second child of the three siblings, needs to walk slowly to avoid pain.
“I will have difficulty walking for a long period of time, about 15 to 30 minutes, and also if I want to go up the stairs it will be difficult because my feet will hurt.
“So, I always have to be brave and walk slowly, if my legs hurt, I will stop for a while to rest, and after that continue walking,” she said when Bernama spoke to her at UTM New Student Registration Day Session 2023/2024 today.
Also present to review the student registration process was UTM Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Student and Alumni Affairs) Prof Dr Shamsul Sahibuddin.
Arisha Maisarah said the trust given by her mother and father fuels her spirit to stand up to the pursuit of higher studies, thus helping her to overcome her physical handicap in the paper chase for success.
According to her, physical inadequacy is not an obstacle as she aspires to serve in the field of research and development of cosmetic products one day.
Meanwhile, another student also facing the odds is Fatimahtul Nur Amierra Amir Hassan, 19, who lost her right eye due to a tumour when she was five months old. She was excited and impatient to start her studies in the field of Bachelor of Biomedicine.
Hailing from Kota Belud, Sabah, the third child of four siblings also hopes to obtain excellent results.
“I don’t have much trouble seeing, because I still have my left eye, it’s just that in class I have to sit at the front and be able to see more widely,” she said.
Meanwhile, Dr Shamsul said a total of approximately 3,500 Bachelor’s students were offered to pursue their studies at UTM for the 2023/2024 session starting today.
He said of that number, 117 were international students from 20 countries including China, Bangladesh, Indonesia and several Middle Eastern countries.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency