Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To Whom It May Concern:

This letter is in regards to appealing for Incomplete Grades for the student Kathryn Haas, for the courses ARTH 210, ARTH 310, ARTH 421, FREN 107.

On the night of November 16, 2015 Kathryn woke up with acute and unusual pain in her lower right abdomen that lasted throughout the rest of the following day. As the pain did not subside, she went to Kingston General Hospital Emergency on the night of November 17, 2015 where the doctors diagnosed her with a UTI that progressed into an infection in the kidneys - providing her with antibiotics and sending her home. The following day, November 18, 2015, the pain did not subside but in fact progressed rather quickly, presenting in sharp pain in her lower right back as well as recurrent fevers. It was the decision of her and her housemates that she should return to KGH Emergency, as her symptoms seemed to be getting worse. Once Kathryn was admitted to the hospital her condition started to deteriorate, her symptoms presenting as vomiting, fevers that were accompanied by crippling tremors referred to as Rigor, intense pain in her back, as well as concerning vital signs. Over the course of the following night several tests and x-ray scans were done in order to get a proper diagnosis. On the night of November 19, 2015 Kathryn started to experience shortness of breath and difficulty breathing which alarmed the doctors. On the morning of November 20, 2015 she was transferred to the ICU as her condition was worsening, and once she was there a VQ scan was ordered to determine whether or not there was a blood clot in her lungs - which is what the doctors suspected at that point. It came back positive for a blood clot in the right lung. Kathryn stayed in the ICU until her vital signs started to become more stable, amounting to a total of four nights in the ICU. She was then transferred to another ward where her care continued and she started to regain some of her strength. Kathryn was discharged from the hospital on November 28, 2015, but is still receiving outpatient care. She currently has a semi-permanent IV line in her arm called a PICC Line that allows her to receive intravenous antibiotics from a clinic daily until December 9, 2015. She is also currently on a regime of blood thinners that will last between 6-9 months.
These extenuating circumstances inhibited me from being able to keep up with my academics while both in the hospital, and after upon discharge. During my stay at KGH I missed several assignments and presentations, as well as crucial time needed to prepare for future work and exams. Therefore, it is evident that this health issue has hindered my academic performance. After leaving the hospital I still couldn't do any academic work, as the recovery process is slow, tiring, and painful.
During my stay at KGH I contacted Spring Forsberg for help determining what my options were in terms of deferring work and exams, which proved to be extremely helpful in providing me with the many options available to me. I also contacted my professors and informed them of the situation.