Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: April 28, 2017

Dr. Johanne Bénard
Associate Dean (Studies)
Queen's University

Dear Dr. Bénard,

My name is Christopher Kileel 10075315, and I am getting a second degree in Mathematics (BSc) with a first degree in Commerce. I am appealing to drop MATH 474 (Fall, 2016), STAT 455 (Fall, 2016), and MATH 281 (Winter, 2017).

Reasons for dropping these two Fall courses is because I contracted an unexpected illness that caused me to miss a large amount of time after the drop deadline. Reasoning for dropping the Winter course is due to the sickness developed prior semester, getting substantially worse and increasingly serious.

Unfortunately, my health has not been optimal this year. For some background, I am a type 1 diabetic and have been for over 10 years. This year I started feeling substantially worse, starting with having far more volatile blood glucose levels than normal. During first semester, I continued to manage my diabetes as normal and thought that the volatility in my blood sugar level was an anomaly. However, I started feeling worse with stomach pain, nausea, chest pain (tightening), occasional vomiting and insomnia, beginning in the middle of the first semester. Initially the doctor thought I had the flu that my body couldn't fight off, and I should wait and see if it goes away before any further serious investigation. I was unable to attend classes for an extended period in October and November because of being ill, causing me to fall behind in all my courses, especially MATH 474 and STAT 455. In December, I had a meeting with Spring Forsberg (academic advisor) to discuss me falling behind in several courses, and how I felt it was not possible to catch up MATH 474 and STAT 455, in addition to being ill. Spring notified that the process of dropping after the deadline is much different in Arts and Science than Commerce, and told me I can apply to drop the courses the following semester if I decide to not write the exams (essentially receiving an F). I took Spring's advice and focused on the other courses. The condition did not get better and I had an ultrasound on my heart with a heart specialist when I went home during Christmas break (see attached document), which was scheduled in October due to chest pains. Also over Christmas break I saw an Endocrinologist (diabetic specialist) and had blood work taken. The blood work showed abnormally high levels of protein. The specialist suggested I may have a kidney problem, however they felt was unlikely.

During second semester, my stomach condition worsened substantially, resulting in me going to the hospital and doctors several times. The stomach pain that had been occurring became unbearable, causing brutal migraines and insomnia, along with nausea and vomiting. Being a type 1 diabetic made this condition much worse than it would be otherwise. My glucose levels have been near impossible to manage, cause severe cases of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia. I have attached a visit summary from Urgent Care at Hotel Dieu Hospital and a Declaration of Illness form that I received from the Student Health Center. The visit summary from Hotel Dieu on March 16, 2017 is one instance that I went to the hospital for unbearable stomach pain and vomiting, where I was given pain killers, and blood work was conducted. April 12, 2017, I had an abdominal ultrasound at KMI X-Ray and Ultrasound, which was scheduled by the Student Health Center at Queen's (see attached document). Currently, I am waiting to receive a call from a stomach specialist about getting an endoscopy on my small intestine. The doctor's think I may have Celiac Disease, which I am at a higher risk for having, being a type 1 diabetic. However, they are not sure and are concerned about other more fatal alternatives. Over the past month, I have been on stomach medication and have been adhering to a strict gluten-free diet. My poor health in second semester caused me to miss a substantial amount of class and get very behind in all my courses. I was unable to write the appeal for dropping the first semester courses, MATH 474 and STAT 455, until now. Catching up in my second semester courses for final exams has been a serious task, consuming all my time recently, causing me to appeal to drop MATH 281, since I had already passed the course. Unfortunately, being sick this year has been an unpredictable event that has caused much stress, forcing me to make these appeals.

In the future, I will take health concerns much more serious in the beginning, instead of waiting before things get out of hand. With regards to graduation, I will take the necessary courses to graduate next year.


Sincerely,

Christopher Kileel 10075315