Invisible costs: inspiring interview with Alicia Denoun

At the age of ten, Alicia Denoon, a student at the University of Guelph, had a nearly half day surgery to remove a growing brain tumour

This procedure left Alicia with substantial physical damage, up to the fact that she could not even sit unaided. When she was balancing and coordinated, her vision was broken, and Alicia found out she was spending her entire life in the pool to increase her physical strength in a safe environment. She found that it was easier in the water to perform the physical skills she had fought with her cancer. For several years, Alicia has created the ability and ability to compete in the 2011 parapic games in the United States

Today, Alicia is an athlete from the country and a Canadian record holder, as well as a member of the swimming team of the Gelfa Gryffon. She's doing business at the University of Guelph and working for him

First, I was diagnosed in three years, and then I was six times again

Yeah, every day. My daily life has never been the same as the operation. I hardly remember life without these symptoms, because I was so young when he started. For example, I have a permanent dual concept-one image is immobile, and one image is floating around. It makes me impossible to read my eyes. All 'read ' is done through special text for voice software. I am a member of CNIB and will never be medically cleared to obtain a driver's license.

Yeah, every day. My daily life has never been the same as the operation. I hardly remember life without these symptoms. For example, there are days when I can't hear something other people can hear about me

First, I need to read my lectures so I can read them at my own time. But only because I need to get messages in different things, or because I have hyphenation, it doesn't mean I can't participate fully in my courses. It's just another way of learning, I guess

Yes, I do. Having come to the University of Guelph, I had to figure out how to make it work. Fortunately, I had the support of the institution's special capacity through the transitional period. But the adjustment took a lot of my time and energy

Completely. For example, I need to understand how to get my homework in an accessible format before I can actually do it. I spent more time and energy on my appointments than my classmates

A lot of people. In the Trillium camp, everyone was treated equally. Sometimes those advisors who worked there didn' t even know who was in the treatment and who wasn't. That is why all children were equal. They all received the same attention and took the same steps. These actions have not been changed. That's because they were deliberately inclusive

Right. The Trillium camp taught me how to do things differently than other people. And that doesn't mean you do it wrong or you're making them sick. It simply means that you take another path to perform the same tasks as other children

I also learned a lot about independence. One thing I've learned that some people might take as much as I can make my room home

I like being a special friend for kids. When they first come to camp, they're shy and insecure. Not to mention, they don't have parents. Being a special friend of these kids is fantastic. Now I'm in a couple with a young girl I was first connected to a few years ago. We have an excellent connection. It's so important to the kids. I just like to be able to do what was done for me, for them

It was a recognition of what I've done my whole life. And that inspired me to have a greater impact on people's lives and on the wider community

I would like to join the community of people in similar circumstances, or just the community as a whole. The Trillium community is a huge community of people who become friends for life. I like having the same connection to the camp that I was a kid, even though I was going to the university for the third year. I would also recommend to be part of the team, be it a sports team, an academic group, or an administrative team. Try to get access to other people-people who shared their experience and enjoyed each other "time."

Don't blame yourself for not doing enough for the baby. Understand that what happened is not your fault, and you can't do anything, except that you can't take care of him anymore and take care of him. In my experience, my brothers and sisters felt powerless. They said things like, "I can't do anything," and "It's my fault." And I had to remind them that the best thing they could do is be for me

And it's really inspiring the entire community, as I mentioned. And we'll talk. Talk to your family, friends, colleagues. Cancer is a terrible theme. But if you talk about it regularly, it becomes less

* Views expressed in respect of the author, and not necessarily for the "Student life" or their partners

Hamza Khan is the managing director of Student Life. Several awards-the winner and entrepreneer, as well as the author of The Burnout Gamble, are regularly invited to speak at events around the world. He is a session instructor at the University of Ryerson, training courses in digital marketing and social media. Through his writing, teaching and speech, Hamza enables people to transform ideas into action. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram: @HamzoK