Allison Emerges Triumphant After Adversity
24 December 2009
Allison Welbourn (centre) will graduate in January. With her are (left to right) sister Fiona Orwin, daughters Ellie (eight) and Keira (four), and mum Christine Orwin.
I was determined to keep going on the University course, whatever life threw at me.
”Allison Welbourn.
It's a catalogue of hell that would not be out of place in a TV soap opera...
But for University of Derby mature student and mother-of-two Allison Welbourn, the last 18 months have been a real life nightmare.
She has endured the death of a close family member and a marital separation - both among the highest 'life change stress factors', according to the internationally recognised Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale.
Further, she and her daughters Ellie, now eight, and Keira, now four, had a lucky escape from a house fire. Also, her coursework and valuable household goods were stolen during a separate burglary at her home.
Remarkably, adversity only seems to have made Allison stronger and more resolute and it is a credit to her that her family will see her graduate at the University's Awards Ceremonies in January.
Allison, 38, is a nursery teaching assistant at Nightingale Infants School in Derby but has aspirations to become a qualified teacher, so enrolled on the University's Children's and Young People's Services (CYPS) foundation degree course in 2007. She will collect this degree at the University's Awards Ceremonies on Saturday January 23, 2010.
Allison is continuing her study, moving on to the BA (Hons) in Early Childhood Studies degree course.
Her list of life challenges while she's been studying includes:
- Summer 2008 - split from her husband after ten years of marriage;
- January 2009 - burglary at her home, including the theft of her laptop which held coursework files;
- The same weekend a dehumidifier fault caused a house fire and she and her daughters had to escape at 4.30am. Their pet rabbit Jasper, as famously reported in the Derby Telegraph, was also rescued and given oxygen in the ambulance. Allison and her two daughters moved in with her mother for two months while her property was repaired;
- Summer 2009 - her stepfather Fred was taken ill and rushed into the Queen's Medical Centre hospital in Nottingham, where he spent four weeks. Medics hoped he would soon be discharged but, tragically, an infection led to a rapid decline over the following week and he died in August.
Allison of Merchant Avenue, Spondon, said: "Looking back, it was an immensely difficult period in my life but I was determined to keep going on the University course, whatever life threw at me. I am delighted with how I came through it all.
"Every incident has been a major challenge to negotiate but I have always tried to see the positive in everything.
"For example, when we had the house fire it was largely limited to the conservatory and in their safety checks afterwards, the firefighters discovered that unconnected to the fire, our boiler was leaking gas and the gas fire was leaking carbon monoxide. So while we had a close escape in the fire, at least the carbon monoxide leak was picked up before we came to even more harm a few months down the line.
"It was a huge shock to lose my stepdad in the summer. He and my mum Christine had been together for more than 20 years and, especially after my marital separation and with all the other trials, he had been my tower of strength. It is so shocking how he passed away as we had all been planning a family holiday when he seemed to be on the mend. A week later and he had passed away.
"My mum has been wonderful and so have the rest of my family but it will certainly be a low key Christmas after what we have been through.
"It gives 2010 even more poignancy for us and we are looking forward to a new year and the opportunity to celebrate at my graduation."
Her mother Christine Orwin of Ullswater Drive, Spondon, said: "I am so proud of Allison. Despite all the setbacks and the heartache she vowed to keep to her studies and she has done so, as well as looking after her family. We are looking forward to the Awards Ceremonies immensely."
Allison's tutor Mike Jackson - TA Pathway Leader on the Foundation Degree, CYPS - added: "Allison has always been a very committed, hardworking and dedicated student. She has an incredible strength of character that has seen her through the course.
"Allison's accessed all support available from the University and we are really thrilled that she has succeeded. We wish her all the best for the future."
Information regarding the University's Annual Awards Ceremonies in Derby can be found on the University website at www.derby.ac.uk/graduation, or may be obtained by telephoning 01332 591057 or via email graduation@derby.ac.uk.
For more information about this news release contact Press and PR Officer Sean Kirby on 01332 593004 or 07876 476103, or email s.kirby@derby.ac.uk.
