Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean,

I have just completed my second year studies at Queen's University and due to medical reasons, I am requesting academic Consideration.

During my first year of university at Queen’s I developed eczema all around my lips and had a visible red rash. Initially, I thought this was due to extreme stress and anxiety since I had moved away from all my friends and family and was struggling to make new friends. The rash persisted and continued to worsen. I visited Dr. Heather Geddes at Student Wellness Services, and she prescribed me Protopic to treat the eczema. The Protopic cleared my eczema temporarily but was not a permanent cure. When I returned home for the summer I decided to go to a walk-in clinic to try and get an appointment to see a dermatologist, I didn’t have a family doctor at this point so it was my only option. I was able to get a referral to see Dr.Coffey, my current dermatologist, in August of summer 2023. After meeting with Dr. Coffey he suspected issues with my thyroid and ordered blood work. All within the span of a couple weeks, before I was about to begin my second year at Queen’s it was discovered that I had a relatively large mass on the right side of my thyroid. An ultrasound and biopsy was ordered immediately and both showed concerning images. At this point, I wasn’t even sure if I should return to Queen’s but I had already paid for many expenses and wanted to continue my studies.

CHEM 212 and CHEM 211 were the classes I struggled with the most. These classes required a level of concentration that I was not able to provide at that time to be successful. I also found the change in level of difficulty from first to second year chemistry much more difficult. I have since focused more on Environmental Science and am hoping to continue along this path with online studies.

On December 22nd, 2023 I had surgery to remove half of my thyroid (hemithyroidectomy). The pathology report confirmed that I had papillary cancer. In retrospect, I probably should have taken the semester off as I found it extremely difficult to focus on school when all I was thinking about was my upcoming surgery and whether I had cancer or not. I am currently waiting on the results from a recent biopsy which will determine my future health care.

Overall, I believe that continuing my studies online in my hometown with the support of my friends, family, and healthcare providers seems to be the only option right now with my ongoing health concerns.

Sincerely,
Lilliann Mercer