A remarkable achievement has been marked by a doctor who was born both blind and deaf, as she becomes the first deafblind doctor to graduate in the UK. Her journey highlights how she found unique ways to navigate her challenges.
Today, inspiring stories are scarce, often overshadowed by the hardships encountered in life, rather than triumphs over adversity.
Fortunately, people like Alexandra Adams share their journeys filled with hope, resilience, and determination, offering much-needed inspiration.
Alexandra has gained recognition beyond the UK for overcoming significant challenges to complete her medical education, despite enduring a 17-month hospital stay during the Covid pandemic.
Although she had to take an extended break from her studies, she is now celebrating her graduation, demonstrating that her disabilities do not hinder her capabilities.
In fact, her unique perspective has allowed her to identify medical conditions that might be overlooked by others, thanks to her enhanced sensory awareness.
During an appearance on the UK’s ITV This Morning show, Alexandra recounted the moment she officially became a doctor.
“Honestly, it’s been incredibly surreal. Even now, it’s incredibly surreal. Um, I just can’t believe it. It’s been 10, 11 years. So, I think you spend so much time thinking, ‘am I ever going to get to the end? Am I ever going to achieve this?’ And yeah, it just seems absolutely mad.”
She shared how her parents treated her the same as other children, and after spending a year in the hospital as a teenager, she felt inspired to help others in similar situations.
She mentioned: “But it was by being in the hospital that you actually thought, you know what, this could be my vocation. This could be what I want to do.”
“I’ve always said this; my disabilities haven’t been the obstacle in my medical degree. It’s been the perceptions of other people,” she stated, acknowledging that ‘discrimination has been a significant challenge’ which she had anticipated.
Nevertheless, she emphasized that ‘disability comes on a big spectrum’ and that she is still able to communicate effectively with her patients.
“So even though I’ve got severe to profound hearing loss; I can like I am having a normal face-to-face conversation using a stethoscope,” she elaborated, showing how she utilizes a Bluetooth stethoscope to connect with her hearing aids, enabling her to hear necessary sounds.
She remarked that it’s ‘mind-blowing for the little patients’, who ‘honestly think I’ve got super hearing.’
Regarding her vision, she stated that her ‘sense of touch and feel is naturally heightened’, which aids her in tasks like locating veins, a skill enhanced by her acute awareness.
She recounted: “So, I’ve had a number of times where people come over and say, ‘Look, we’ve got a really difficult patient, you know, with really swollen arms. Can you, you know, come and, come and see if they can get a cannula?’”
Alexandra noted that she is set to begin her career as a doctor next week and is eagerly anticipating it, though adjusting to the title of Dr. Adams has been an unusual experience.