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Cancer patient beats odds to excel in Tawjihi exam

‘With hope, we can beat all hardships’

By Renad Aljadid - Feb 19,2018 - Last updated at Feb 20,2018

Eighteen-year-old Mohammad Majali makes the victory sign to show his strength in fighting against bone cancer (Photo courtesy of Mohammad Majali’s family)

AMMAN — In spite of a three-year-long fight against bone cancer that caused him to lose one of his legs, 18-year-old Mohammad Majali celebrated an admirable 93.1 per cent average in this year’s Tawjihi winter session.

In April 2017, Majali underwent a leg amputation surgery after cancer had metastasised to his leg bones. He also had to go through a series of chemical therapies.

“When I was first diagnosed with cancer, my family did not tell me and they were acting calm, but I understood it when I heard the doctor describe how severe my case was and that amputation was inevitable,” Majali recalled.

“I remained in shock for two days, but then I decided to think of it as a positive turning point in my life,” the young man said, remembering that “everyone was surprised by my reaction”.

Despite the pain, the young man kept working to succeed in the scientific stream exam of the General Secondary Education Certificate Examination (Tawjihi).

“The disease generated a great power inside of me. I believe I was tested by this disease to set an example for others and show them that hard work pays off and that, with hope, we can beat all hardships,” Majali said.

“Mohammad has helped us to overcome this distress with his powerful determination, shiny smile, and great spirit. He believed he was a fighter in this battle against cancer and he has been determined to win,” Majali’s mother told The Jordan Times.

The young man’s school, the Modern Systems Schools, was one of the main supporters in his journey towards academic success, awarding him a full scholarship.

“Mohammad is an exceptional student with such an inspirational mission and a productive spirit that deserves to be supported,” the general director of the school, Mustafa Affouri, told The Jordan Times over the phone.

“We were keen on providing any support to facilitate his access to the school, but he never made us feel that he had a special need and he was always fully reliant on himself, always with a big smile on his face,” Affouri added.

Majali’s experience did not only change his life but also influenced other people around him. The posts he published on Facebook about his fight against cancer were read by almost 12,000 people.

“People believed me because my words were coming from my heart and were based on an actual experience. I was very happy and proud that many of the patients who were with me changed their perception and began to accept their situation, thinking of it as a new beginning for a better change,” Majali explained.

“What happened to Mohammad was a real shock, but his strength was truly motivating. Thinking of him always gives me immense strength and motivation,” Ahmad Mansi, a friend of Majali, told The Jordan Times.

Majali said he believes everyone is a fighter in life, and that we are each fighting our own battle. The young graduate stressed that this is only “half the battle”, noting that “more victories are yet to come”.

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