JOHOR BARU: Despite facing multiple challenges, including kidney failure, Dr Noraida Abd Manaf refused to give up on her dream of earning a PhD.

The former lecturer's journey towards the doctorate began in 2013, just a few months before she discovered she had acute kidney failure.

"I used to teach at a private university in Selangor, but in 2013, I moved here as my husband at the time was transferred here.

"I then became a research assistant at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and decided to pursue my PhD at the same time to achieve my goal of getting a PhD before I turned 40.

"However, as fate would have it, shortly after starting my PhD journey, I received the devastating news about my failing kidneys," she said when met during UTM's convocation ceremony here.

Noraida, 43, said her health condition worsened over time and in 2014, she was diagnosed with end-stage renal failure (ESRF).

"It broke my heart. I was very disappointed and sad, but I decided not to give up.

"My biggest and most important inspiration is my daughter, who was then just six years old. She kept me going," she said.

The single mother, who divorced in 2018, said her supervisors and her mother were among those who were very supportive towards her.

"My condition continued to worsen, but in 2019, I got a glimmer of hope after my brother donated one of his kidneys when we found out he was a match.

"Unfortunately, the relief soon turned into another disappointment as my body rejected the organ after the transplant."

Despite the challenges, Noraida refused to give up on her studies, finding ways to catch up between hospital visits and dialysis cycles.

"I believe God will not give us tests that we cannot endure.

"I hold on to that belief strongly, and I think that has helped me face the challenges," she said.

Noraida's 12-year journey finally paid off when she received her PhD in Health Sciences at UTM's convocation ceremony.

She was among 7,156 graduates, including 732 PhD recipients, who received their scrolls during the six-day convocation ceremony, which began yesterday.