AFRICA | Nigerian Lady diagnosed with cancer the same year she began her studies in US finally earns PhD with 4.00/4.00CGPA, celebrates success.
A Nigerian Lady named Amaka Ifeduba who was diagnosed with cancer the same year she began her doctoral studies in the United States, has overcome immense challenges to earn her PhD with a perfect 4.00 cumulative grade point average (CGPA).
Amaka earned her doctorate in Plant Breeding at Texas A&M University, United States.
In a LinkedIn post, she shared her journey, revealing that she arrived in the US for her PhD in January 2022, only to be diagnosed with cancer in September of the same year. She was scheduled for emergency surgery the following month, on October 7.
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However, Amaka negotiated with her doctor to postpone the surgery until October 22, because she had received an award from Corteva Agriscience and was invited to speak at the New Frontiers Conference from October 11-13. Despite the severity of her diagnosis, she was determined to attend the event.
”Everyone expected me to cancel the trip, it made total sense, right? You just learnt you had CANCER. Well, I opted not to, figured if I was going to die, I might as well go out with a bang,” she said.
After delivering her talk, Amaka underwent life-changing open-abdominal surgery on October 20, 2022. With no family around to support her in the United States, she relied on her mentor, Dr. Olatunde, and a few close friends during her recovery.
Amaka shared that she lost over 60 pounds and became “thin as a rake.” Her recovery was grueling, forcing her to miss three months of in-person schooling and research work. On November 1, 2022, she chose to resume her classes online, a decision that left many thinking she was taking on too much too soon.
Although she had the option to defer her courses to the following year, Amaka declined. She explained that her decision was not an attempt to appear strong, but rather a means to preserve her mental well-being.
She channeled her pain and suffering into her studies to avoid falling apart, knowing that she could not afford to do so.
Her determination and resilience paid off. She passed all her courses and graduated with a perfect CGPA. On October 11, 2024, Amaka successfully defended her dissertation a year early, noting that she is joining the 2% in the world who hold a PhD.
Amaka said she shared her story to inspire others, emphasizing that while life can be challenging, a positive attitude can make even the most difficult situations more bearable. Despite her struggles, she chose to focus on the positives in her life, encouraging others to do the same—to stay inspired, happy, and always smiling.
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