DMU student triumphs over adversity to achieve top honours

Thousands of students have celebrated their graduations at De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) this month, but for one new graduate, her success is still something she can’t believe she achieved.

Melisa Henderson overcame trials and tribulations aplenty during her time at DMU. Her inseparable sister moved to the other side of the world, her mother suffered a stroke and a heart attack, and Melisa had medical problems herself meaning she regularly saw more doctors and nurses than she did lecturers.

Melisa grew up in Stockton-On-Tees, County Durham with her mother Tracy and sister Rebecca. When Rebecca moved to Australia in 2014, Melisa had lost her closest friend.

“Going to university started on a bad foot straight away, a week before I went my uncle passed away,” Melisa said.

“Then I got a message saying my Dad, who’s never really been around, had cancer and he ended up in a coma. He’s still in a coma now.”

But she was determined to make a success of her time on the Fine Art degree at DMU.

Then, despite never having them before, Melisa started suffering with blackouts during her second year and on January 2 of this year, she was admitted to Glenfield Hospital, Leicester, for heart surgery to have a recorder fitted to try and underline the cause of the blackouts.

She still managed to submit work for her assessment that month.

If her own struggles weren’t enough, in April she received the devastating news that her mum had had a stroke, and she immediately went back to be by her side.

Her mum then had a heart attack which meant more hospital visits and time away from university for Melisa, without her sister there to help and support her. Miraculously, her mum managed to make it to Leicester to see her daughter’s work at the end of year degree show.

Throughout all the difficulties that she endured, Melisa says the support she received from her friends and the staff at DMU helped her to get through it all.

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When she left to visit her mum in hospital, she sent her lecturer, Andy Price, an email. She said: “He was amazing with me and the support was outstanding.

“I was given an extension on a deadline which was due in the following week.

“Times have been rough and I have overcome some hurdles that I wouldn’t have been able to without the help of DMU staff and students.”

The biggest surprise was yet to come for Melisa, however, who woke up on July 16 ready to graduate with her mum and grandmother there to watch her, only to see her sister waiting for her when they arrived in Leicester.

Rebecca had flown in from Australia to surprise her and celebrate her remarkable First Class Honours with the rest of the family.

“I can’t thank the staff enough,” Melisa said.

“My personal tutor (Leila Galloway) was amazing, she even offered to go to the hospital with me. With her it was more like sitting with a friend than a tutor because I could just tell her everything.

“It’s been amazing at DMU. It wasn’t like being a student it was like being part of a community. I just took advantage of all the resources and made the most of it I guess!”

Melisa’s sister, Rebecca, has produced a video of her trip to visit her sister on her graduation day, which you can watch below.