The accidental drowning of Leigh Albert’s fiance while saving their three children from a rip left her with crippling grief.
But somehow, in the wake of her loss, she found her way back, and discovered the inspiration to finally pursue her life-long dream of becoming a doctor.
And today, she will graduate from the University of Otago with a bachelor of medicine and a bachelor of surgery — a moment which will be ‘‘bittersweet’’, she said.
She had always wanted to be a doctor from a very early age, but when she was in secondary school, a biology teacher — whom she greatly respected — told her she did not have what it took to study medicine.
While it crushed her confidence, it did not curb her enthusiasm for medicine.
After she finished school, she did a bachelor of health sciences degree, and then in 2003, she joined the New Zealand Defence Force as a medic.
‘‘It just felt right, so that’s why I joined up.’’
Over the past 23 years, she has been deployed internationally, including to the Middle East, and was on the ground following the 2011 Canterbury earthquake.
But in 2018, soon after she returned from serving overseas, she and her fiance were at a beach in the Bay of Islands with her three children when their lives changed forever.
‘‘The kids were playing on a boogie board in the shallows, and then a rip formed and took out my twin boys.
‘‘My 11-year-old daughter went in to go and save them, and then my partner jumped in for all three of them.
‘‘He didn’t make it back, but the kids did.’’
While it was a horrific time, she said it ‘‘shook off ’’ her fear of failure.
‘‘I thought about applying to med school over the years, but I was so super afraid of actually being rejected prior to that.’’
During her studies, the single mother of three worked three jobs, including continuing as a medic with the NZDF.
Now that she is about to graduate, she said it felt ‘‘a little bit bittersweet and a little bit surreal’’.
‘‘I’m also proud — really, really proud — but also very tired.
‘‘You finally get to the end point and you’re like, ‘Wow, maybe all of that experience was for something, and it’s starting to pay off.’’’
Tragedy aside, she said her partner’s death had left her with a gift, and all of her experiences had given her a magnificent bedside manner.
‘‘Despite the experiences I’ve had, I did medicine and came out the other side.
‘‘It doesn’t matter how hurt you are, you can get there; but your resilience, determination and commitment to your goal will be tested.’’
Dr Albert now works at Dunedin Hospital in general surgery as a house surgeon.
