But University of Bristol student Saffy James, 23, from Watford in Hertfordshire was absolutely determined to see things through to the end and with support from her friends and University staff she has successfully graduated with a degree in Geography.
A keen rugby player, Saffy was part of the University of Bristol first women’s rugby team when she hit her head during a game against Exeter. She remembers feeling unwell and being assessed by the physiotherapist who took her to hospital with one of the worst head injuries she’d ever seen.
Saffy said: “After that things got progressively worse. I struggled speaking and couldn’t form sentences. It was really scary.”
After taking some time away from University for physiotherapy and treatment, Saffy had to make a decision on whether to give up her studies or carry on.
She said: “I always wanted to be a teacher, so I knew I had to finish my course. There were various decisions that I had to make including on whether to transfer my studies to a university nearer to home, but I wanted to stay on at Bristol. I loved it here and the course was so different to anywhere else.”
After meeting with her tutors, she was able to return to her studies with support and additional supervision from her tutor and the University’s Disability Services team. But, due to her memory loss, had to re-learn what she had studied previously by going over her lesson notes and essays.
Saffy added: “The support I had from my friends and family at this time was invaluable. If I was having a bad day with my memory, they would remind me where I needed to be, helping me go through my notes. If it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t have got through that year. It's been so lovely having their support and their help. Some of them have already left university, but they make such an effort to be present still in my life including coming to see me graduate this week.”
As time went on, Saffy was able to start to get involved with rugby again but the day of a Derby Day match she discovered she was pregnant.
She said: “It took a long time for me to get back into my rugby because if I were to get another head injury, it would be pretty bad. I was really excited to be able to play at Derby Day, but I found out I was pregnant that same day. I told my friends a few weeks later after everything was confirmed and, once again, their support was amazing.”
Saffy continued her studies while pregnant but took a year off when her daughter Violet (now 18 months) was born a week before she was due to sit her exams.
She said: “Some family and friends were saying at this point, once again, that I should drop out but I wasn’t going to let that happen. I was very nearly at the end of my degree and after taking more time off after Violet was born I was able to finish my studies which was great. I was going to prove them wrong and I have. When someone tells me I can’t do something, it usually eggs me on to do it.”
Saffy says her friends and teammates Alba Espallardo and Ameera Jayman were always there for her throughout this challenging period.
Alba said: “Saffy's head injury was a scary time for us as her friends, but we made sure she knew she wasn't going through it alone. It was the same when Violet came along. I feel so lucky to have been there for her during these moments, and so privileged to be a part of Violet's life.
“Whether it meant taking things a bit slower during her recovery or adapting our plans so that Violet could be with us, we wanted Saffy to know that she would always be included and supported as part of our group. She deserves so much credit for her recovery, for completing her degree, and for becoming such an amazing mum.”
Ameera added: “Saffy is (and continues to be) one of the strongest and bravest people I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. I’ve always known that no matter what life throws at her, she’d clear through it like it’s nothing (almost like she clears through three-man rucks on the pitch). As her friend, it was a no-brainer to be there for her when things got rockier with her injury.
“We’d sit in her car for hours in the cold just talking and laughing until our thoughts and problems felt a bit lighter. Even when Violet came along and everything was changing, we did our best to let Saffy know that our love and support for her didn’t change— we just had a new addition to the friend group!! I’ll forever be proud of her for all her efforts to earn this well-deserved degree and I’m so happy to have been there for the journey.”
Saffy says the support she got from her tutor, Professor Maria Fannin from the School of Geographical Studies, was also a big part in helping her reach the finish line. She said: “Maria scheduled extra time to meet with me whenever I needed it. She was a big part in helping me get through this. When I was finalising my dissertation she phoned me every day to tell me, ‘it’s alright – you’ve got this’. She was so motivating and helpful.”
Professor Fannin, said: “Saffy brought determination and a positive attitude to all the challenges she faced during her degree. We are all so proud of her achievements, and that she worked so hard to combine motherhood with her studies. This wasn't always easy, but I never doubted her commitment. She is an inspiration.”
Saffy is due to start a teacher training post graduate course in September and hopes to realise her ambition to become a geography teacher after that.