Abbie Coull

When Abbie commenced her studies in 2020, she thought her biggest challenge would be adapting to online and socially distanced lectures and tutorials.

However, just a year into her law degree at Robert Gordon University, Abbie’s health declined, threatening her studies.

At 17, she had been diagnosed with a benign tumour that was growing on the hearing and balance nerve just outside the brain. In her second year at university, she received bad news about her condition.

Abbie, now 23, said: “In 2021, I found out that the non-malignant brain tumour I had surgically removed prior to the commencement of my studies was growing back. This meant I had to undergo radiation therapy at the same time as my second year exams. I struggled with fatigue for an extended period following this and on three occasions sat online exams the same day as I received radiation treatment.”

Despite the difficult circumstances and upheaval, Abbie persevered and is proud to have completed her studies in Aberdeen. It was her determination and resilience that saw her arrive at the University of Aberdeen to complete her diploma last year.

She added: “Even with all the challenges I have faced, I was over the moon to have managed to obtain a first class law degree. I’ve continued on to the University of Aberdeen to study my DPLP from which I have now graduated with a Distinction.

“I faced so many challenges as a result of my craniotomy at 17, including facial nerve damage, balance issues and minor damage to my optical nerve. I am quite a determined individual and when I put my mind to something I like to see it through. I would always keep in my mind that I was not the only student going through a hard time and that things happen, but as long as I was capable I wanted to see it through.

“This was not my first health concern: when I was 12 years old I had spinal fusion surgery to treat my scoliosis. I remember this as a hard time as I was not allowed to do any contact sports for two years and I missed some school. From that experience I know things get better and I’ve tried hard to keep my grades high when things were tough before, so I would have regretted it if I did not try my best to push though.

“I was also motivated to continue my studies to keep looking ahead to the future and in a way, it was a distraction from what was going on around me. It was mentally tough knowing that the tumour grew back and it takes three years to know if the radiation worked, so I used my studies to also keep my mind busy which helped me get through.”

Reflecting on her time at the University of Aberdeen, Abbie is proud of how far she’s come and is excited for what the future holds.

“I would say the highlight of studying at the University of Aberdeen was the people I have met and the lovely atmosphere there is here. From my first day here when there was the Freshers Fair, there was so much going on and a buzz which I have really enjoyed.

“And since I started at the University, my health has been great. The radiation was a success and did what it was supposed to do which was stop the tumour growing any more. I get an MRI scan every year to check on the tumour and it continues to remain stable. When it comes to the scan every year I always get a bit nervous in case it’s not great news but as the years go by it is easier to wait for the results.”

Abbie has now joined a local law firm and will begin her career as a trainee solicitor this summer. She has some words of encouragement for anyone else struggling with their health during their studies: