Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance Scholarship Winner: Termeh Khoshniat
We are thrilled to announce the third recipient of the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance Scholarship: Termeh Khoshniat.
In
2008, when Termeh was 16 years old, her mother became severely ill.
After years of tests, deteriorating health, and multiple diagnoses, her
mother was officially diagnosed with stage II mesothelioma
in 2013. From that day forward, Termeh became her mother’s sole,
state-appointed caretaker. Her story of courage and perseverance left us
humbled and speechless.
As her mother’s caregiver, Termeh bore
witness to a devastating journey of cancer treatments, including
multiple aggressive surgeries and chemotherapy. While her mother became
physically weaker, Termeh was forced to grow stronger. Despite her
strength, she struggled with the emotional exhaustion of it all. As she
writes in her moving essay, she felt “the fear of losing her, the
desperation to have more time with her and to learn more from her before
she was gone, the worry that I had no idea what I would do without
her.”
In addition to her internal struggle, Termeh’s school work
began to suffer, but she pushed forward to college. As she tried
managing her studies at UCLA, Irvine while also returning to LA to take
care of her mother, others began to tell her that she would not be able
to achieve her lifelong dream of becoming a doctor. As her family became
saddled with medical bills and her mother’s health and her own future
uncertain, Termeh was diagnosed with severe anxiety and depression.
This
time, Termeh was forced to start taking care of herself: “I began
getting treatment on my own, [and] putting my life back together for
[both myself and] my mother.” While working to heal herself, Termeh also
began visiting under-resourced countries and teaching children about
the risks of cancer.
Now, Termeh is determined to continue helping
others with a career in medicine and wants to be a role model for women
everywhere, the way her mother has been to her. She writes, “The
struggles in my life have made me grow as a person and have solidified
my interest in a career in medicine. I have become a stronger woman, and
I believe in myself more than ever. [...] I want to show [my mother]
that through all the struggles we both have undergone, there is still
hope to be had in this world.”
As the winner of the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance Scholarship,
Termeh will receive $4,000 toward her education expenses. The
Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance is beyond inspired by Termeh’s selflessness
and unshakeable determination. We look forward to hearing about all the
lives she will undoubtedly impact for the better and hope her dreams
become reality.