By Manuela Keneema – Imaging Student at Earnest Cook University
Growing up, I was torn between becoming a doctor or a lawyer. For years, I had no clear career choice—until a life-changing event gave me purpose.
It was in 2014 when my dad began battling a mysterious illness. He visited several hospitals and was repeatedly diagnosed with stomach ulcers. After a series of examinations and X-rays, the results stayed the same, his pain persisted, and his condition worsened. I remember one quiet Saturday, he confided in me that his pain had intensified, and he had begun staining his clothes with blood. I was just a child then—still in primary five—but I could see something was terribly wrong.
That worried me so much but at my age, I just looked on with a painful expression. I remember he even joked about us (his children) coming back from school for the holidays when he was no longer alive. That moved me with my younger sisters to say it was a lame joke. That’s how he managed to brush it off casually but, in his heart, he knew that he meant it since it came to pass.
After my dad had passed on, amid that unbearable heartbreak, one question haunted me: Why wasn’t this caught earlier? My father had gone to multiple hospitals, how could something so serious have been misdiagnosed repeatedly?
That question sparked my decision to become a medic and when it was time to specialize, I specifically chose the field of medical imaging. I wanted to be part of a healthcare system that catches what others might miss. I may not be able to prevent every misdiagnosis, but I am determined to make a difference wherever I am placed.
More than anything, I desire to embody kindness, empathy, and professionalism—because healing begins with trust in a medical practitioner.
I could not save my dad, but I believe that I can help others who may find themselves in my dad’s situation.
