The 23-year-old Marlene Taylor is from Vanderbijlpark and the youngest of three siblings. She enrolled for her BA degree in Language and Literary studies in 2017 at the North-West University’s Vanderbijlpark Campus and is currently studying towards a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE).
“When I was in high school, I was always involved in holiday programmes for children and it was then when I realised that I would like to become a teacher one day,” says Marlene.
She has always had a passion for languages, which is why she wants to teach both English and Afrikaans one day.
At the beginning of July she started feeling ill. She was admitted to Cormed, where the urologist diagnosed her and confirmed that she had kidney stones.
“A friend of our family provided the funds for the emergency procedure for stents (thin tubes that are placed in your ureter to help drain fluids from the kidneys and to prevent further blockages) to be inserted.”
She was discharged from hospital after a week and she has been living with the stents ever since, waiting for a way to have the kidney stones removed.
The stents have caused increasing complications such as repeated infections, causing severe pain.
“Some days are better than others, but the pain does not go away.”
She also mentions that her mother and a close friend of hers have been taking care of her. With them helping her, she can focus on her studies, especially when the pain is manageable.
It has been challenging to keep up with all her academic work because of the side effects she experiences as a result of the medication, one of them which is fatigue.
“My lecturers have been extremely supportive. They have been offering me extensions on assignments and they always discuss alternatives for certain assessments, which I really appreciate,” she says.
Prior to her diagnosis, Marlene was considering a multitude of paths for her future. She plans to travel the world one day and would love to further her studies in the Afrikaans language. Her life changed after she got her diagnosis and now she also plans to help raise funds for people who need medical help for kidney-related issues.
“I want to visit people in hospitals who are in the same situation that I am and just let them know that they should never let anyone make them feel bad for being chronically ill, and that they should be kind to and patient with themselves. They should also know that with God all things are possible and that he will bring them peace that surpasses all their understanding.”
One of her favourite life quotes is “Celebrate being alive”.
Dr Christiaan Barnard once said “Celebrate what we have, rather than complain about what we don’t have, because in the garden of memory, happy moments are always the brightest blossoms.” This quote is fitting for Marlene because she possesses an undying fighting spirit and is grateful for the gift of life.
She would like to express her gratitude to the North-West University staff who, she says, have been nothing but helpful and supportive.
“A lot of my lecturers and former lecturers have helped with the fund raising by contributing themselves or by simply sharing posts and information widely,” says Marlene. Public hospitals could not help because of the strain caused by Covid-19.
They have managed to raise enough funds for the operation and it will take place on the 8th October 2020. "I can only thank God, all things are possible with him". she says.
To find out more about her condition or to leave her encouraging messages of hope, please click here
Marlene Taylor
