Husband was 'Inspiration' for Welwyn Garden City woman's degree

A WOMAN who juggled university education with mourning her husband and raising her young child was among those who graduated.

Priscilla Kape, from WGC, lost her doctor husband Terry to liver cancer in August 2005, just one month before she had been due to begin a course of higher education at the University of Hertfordshire.

But the grief-stricken widow decided to press ahead with her studies, while simultaneously bringing up her daughter Chileshe.

And she has been rewarded for her efforts with a 2:1 degree in biomedical science.

Mrs Kape, who was born in London and raised in Zambia, told the WHT the last three years had been tough.

"Countless nights I cried myself to sleep," she said.

The 32-year-old said she was also prone to bursting into tears while writing assignments or in lectures.

But Mrs Kape added her late husband's words helped her through the difficult times.

"He was my inspiration and urged me not to stay at home and grieve, but to be strong and to secure a future for myself and my daughter," she said.

Mrs Kape, of Jordans, now works as a trainee biomedical scientist at the QE2 Hospital, carrying out diagnostic tests on biological samples.

She added her job was all the more special because histopathology was an area that Terry had wanted to move into.

"I love my job," she said.

"I feel very honoured to be where I am, and could not have done so without Terry's inspiration and the help of my tutors at the university.

"I am now working towards being able to contribute to making medical diagnosis to give patients a better chance.

"I appreciate the patient behind whatever sample I am holding in my hand.

"Whatever I do to this sample has a huge impact on the life of the patient I am dealing with.

"I understand because I have been there with my husband.