A visit to Oxford University 2024
Resilience, persistence, and hard work—these are some of the most important traits to uphold, especially as an ex preterm young adult. I was born at the Royal Women’s Hospital at 28 weeks gestational age and weighed just under 1000gms. At 25 years of age, living in London far away from my home in Melbourne, I rely on these pillars every day to thrive, grow, and explore the world. This is not unlike what most babies born extremely preterm go through in their first few weeks of lives and continue to do so thereafter, where intense mental and physical fortitude is crucial for survival. It’s special and unique, and it bonds us in a powerful global way.
I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have been raised in a loving, caring, and nurturing family with a robust support system that has enabled me to grow, thrive, and chase my dreams. I draw so much motivation from my family and friends. However, it is essentially up to us as ex preterm survivors to keep challenging ourselves and moving on. We have the aptitude to never give up in all aspects of life. It is what makes us indomitable and strong.
My experiences growing up have been invaluable as I pursue exciting challenges overseas. Between constant travel, setting up a new life, building new support structures, and ensuring I am physically and mentally fit, life can be tricky when living in a foreign country away from home and family. But we, as ex preterm survivors, think in a courageous and inspiring way. We love challenges, thrive in them, and seek them out—all for the better. This is not new to us, we all have faced our set of hurdles from our time in and out of the NICU and in our later formative years.
Recently, with great privilege and honor, I joined the Consumer Advisory Group of the CRE in newborn medicine led by Professor Jeanie Cheong. I am very grateful to be part of this committee where I can share my lived in experience with other members of the team and contribute in a meaningful manner. I work as a financial consultant in an international company, and I am very keen to bring my negotiating and business skills to the team and assist with relevant study projects.
A lot is often said about the physical health impacts of being born preterm, but the mental side is equally very important. Life can be tough and demanding. However, building a supportive network, trusting and looking after yourselves, setting goals and working towards it is a key to wholesome living. I am keen to spread the message to my ex preterm comrades to never give up and keep soldering on.
I will continue to journey through my next adventures and grab every opportunity that comes my way. I look forward to contributing in all ways possible to make this world a better and gentler place for very little babies growing up.