Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: I am appealing to drop my courses for the Winter term past the academic deadline.

I went through this process in the Fall term due to an illness that left me hospitalized three times. I have since returned this Winter, but I truly believe it is necessary to take this year off and return next Fall. I would have liked to appeal much earlier but I was afraid of being a year behind. I was also unable to get updated documentation from my Doctor until the week I submitted this.

On October 12, 2020 I became very ill and experienced high fever which left me unable to leave bed or eat. After three hospital visits a test concluded I had Mononucleosis. On my third visit to the hospital, October 23, I was admitted for at least one week. I was completely unable to eat during this week and was even sent to the ICU because my throat was swelling so much. The Doctors and Nurses helping me described my case as the worst they had ever seen. I was on IV therapy and strong medications in the hospital and continued medications for a short time after hospital discharge. I was bedridden for the next month and was told I may experience these symptoms for 6 to 24 months. Other conditions during October included Strep, Hypokalemia, and kidney dysfunction.

I am appealing because I am once again experiencing these insanely draining symptoms. I have been bedridden for over one week and have been unable to do any work. I experienced this in February for a brief few days, but this time I am progressively getting worse. I sleep around 15+ hours a day and have no appetite. I am losing weight and often feel dizzy.

Follow ups with my Doctors reveal I am now dealing with underlying conditions caused during my October illness. My liver is not functioning properly and is producing high levels of Bilirubin. They are unsure of how serious it is because a new set of blood work is scheduled in May 2021. They have explained to me that exhaustion and weakness, among other symptoms, are to be expected for this condition as well. The combination of recovering from last October and dealing with this new condition has left me unwell.

I truly tried to finish this half year and get some courses done, but it is becoming too difficult. I have convinced myself that falling a year behind will not matter in the long run and that I should prioritize my health. I can no longer finish my courses because I am unable to sit down and work without pushing myself to stay focused or out of bed. These are the symptoms I may live with for a while longer and are completely out of my control.

Taking this time off will allow my health to recover so I can continue my studies normally and to the best of my abilities. My liver condition will be observed over the Summer and my symptoms from October 2020 will hopefully be mostly recovered by September. I am taking vitamins and supplements recommended by my Doctors to ensure my health improves over the next few months. I am planning to take one course this Summer and restart the rest of my classes next Fall. I have notified my professors that I am submitting an appeal and the reason and they have been supportive.

This is important to me because I am planning to attend Graduate school at Queen's. The grades I will receive this term, if I am unable to drop, will absolutely not be a true reflection of my true abilities, any may hinder my academic future.

I hope my circumstances can be understood and accommodated so I can achieve academic success at Queen's for years to come.

Thank you,
Marcus Georgievski
20231794