Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean Dr. Dorit Namaan,

My name is Aidon Lambert McComb, student number 20353026, and I am petitioning the Faculty of Arts and Science’s decision that I must withdraw from Queen’s until May 2026. Further, I am requesting a “credit received” for my past courses ASTR 101, CHEM 221, and LAW 201, as well as a late drop for the Fall 2024-Winter 2025 semesters and CHEM 222.
On October 22nd, 2024, I had a tonic-clonic seizure and was brought by ambulance to the Emergency Room at Kingston General Hospital. I was administered 3000mg of Keppra in-hospital, and a CT revealed a tumour in my occipital and parietal lobes. In the days following, I had an MRI and an EEG, which confirmed a calcified mass of unknown origin in my brain and an idiopathic epilepsy diagnosis. I was prescribed 750mg of Keppra to take twice daily, as well as rescue Ativan. The side effects I experienced from Keppra, which are typical for anti-convulsants in high doses, were extreme drowsiness, impaired cognition, and impaired memory retention, and because of this, I do not remember much of November-February. On November 14th, 2024, I had a neurology appointment where my doctor informed me that surgery was required to remove the tumour, and the surgery date was confirmed for January 30th at 8:00 am. This was an especially stressful time for me as I had to go through extensive pre-op tests and counselling in Kingston while my mom was in Mississauga. During this period, I submitted a request for a long-term exam deferral through QSAS until February, when I thought I would have recovered. On January 30th, I had my neurosurgery, where the tumour was successfully removed, but it required further testing for a diagnosis. I was in the hospital for 36 hours following the surgery. My Keppra dose was boosted back to 3000mg, and I was placed on a Dexamethasone titration for 2 weeks alongside Opioid pain management. I do not remember most of my recovery period due to the medications and stress– I know that I dropped some of my course load to make recovery easier– but I cannot remember any other academic decisions I had made as a direct result of the medications. Eventually, tests revealed that my tumour was “Polymorphous Low-Grade Neuroepithelial Neoplasm of the Young” (PLNTY) and had been dormant for 5-10 years, which explained my previous sleep and anxiety issues that I had sought help for prior to my seizure. My recovery took longer than anticipated based on the information provided to me during consultations. This also resulted in a severe throat infection in May 2025 due to immunocompromization, which led me to defer my Winter 2025 exams. Despite my requirement to withdraw from Queen’s, I came back to Kingston in September 2025 to begin the process of returning to school. However, I was still attending neurology appointments and going through medication trials, which prevented me from acting promptly. In November 2025, I met with Pamela Briand to look at my next steps for returning to Queen’s, which is where she provided me with the opportunity to write this petition.
During these periods, I did not willingly withdraw from Queen’s because my academics helped to alleviate the anxiety I had about my medical issues and provided me with a sense of normalcy. I thought that I could persevere despite everything, which, as I know now, was incorrect. Due to the stress and medication side effects, I made several lapses in judgment regarding my academics, including not dropping courses willingly and failing to advocate for myself as much as I should have. This was again largely due to the extreme cognitive impairment I experienced on Keppra and following my surgery. However, I am from a single-parent household, as my dad passed away from a similarly rare cancer shortly after his diagnosis when I was 12. Further, my mom lives in Mississauga, which meant that I was handling much of my academics and medical issues on my own. Now that I am in better health, have received clean tests from my doctors, and my medication has been lowered, I am assured of my ability to return to Queen’s and perform my academics with success.
Overall, I am asking to waive the requirement of a 1-year withdrawal from Queen’s so I may return in the Winter 2026 semester, to drop my Fall 2024-Winter 2025 semesters and CHEM 222, and to receive a “credit received” in ASTR 101, CHEM 221, and LAW 201. I acknowledge the errors I have made in this process, but I hope that the situation I endured provides insight into these mistakes.

Thank you for your time and consideration,

Aidon Lambert McComb