Jessica Coverdale, 18, is set to take up a place at John Carroll University, Ohio, Cleveland, but needs to raise £15,000 to afford it
A student who landed a full US scholarship in spite of a series of debilitating conditions is looking to raise funds to realise her transatlantic dream.
Jessica Coverdale, 18, is set to take up a place at John Carroll University, Ohio, Cleveland, but needs to raise £15,000 to afford it.
The Great Broughton teen’s dreams were very nearly dashed when she was struck with two separate conditions within months of her exams.
While preparing for her GCSEs, the Stokesley School student was diagnosed with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and, just months later, Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), a condition that left Jessica unable to use her right hand or walk without crutches.
Jessica said: “My hearing problems were first diagnosed in 2010 - I found out that the bones in my ears haven’t developed properly.
“Then, when I was sitting my GCSEs, my foot was swollen and bruised, it went on for weeks to the point where I couldn’t walk.
“I went to hospital but there wasn’t anything that showed up in my blood tests so they weren’t sure what it was.
“Eventually they diagnosed me with complex pain syndrome.
“Basically it means I have over-sensitive nerves; I can just slip off a curb and then I won’t be able to move my foot for weeks.”
Despite having to sit in a separate room and dictate to a scribe during her exams, Jessica went on to achieve an amazing eight As and four Bs at GCSE level before moving on to study A-levels at Stokesley School.
Jessica’s mum Sarah Tilley, 40, from Great Broughton said: “She worked really, really hard for it.
“She had to have a scribe during her GCSEs, but she came out with such brilliant results - I’m extremely proud of her.”
Jessica’s has had an interest in crime and criminal psychology for as long as she can remember.
She said: “It sounds really weird but I got the idea watching crime programmes.
“I’ve always been interested in crime and how the mind of the criminal works.
“But when I started psychology at sixth form I realised that there are jobs out there to do with it.”
Jessica’s hard work paid off and her scholarship grant of $18,500 a year will cover her tuition fees studying Forensic Psychology and Behavioural Science.
But studying in the US doesn’t come cheap and now Jessica is looking to raise £15,000 to pay for accommodation and travel.
On her YouCaring page she wrote: “I have been offered a scholarship which goes towards my fees, but am still trying to raise the rest of the money to make this dream a reality.
“I know that this is a big ask, but I would be grateful for any donations no matter how small.”
To help Jessica to achieve her dream, you can make a donation at http://ift.tt/1lKa7TT.
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