Carys Singhan dreams of a life spent helping others.
After years of ups and downs in the medical system, the grade 10 student at W.H. Croxford High School was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome: a disease that weakens the connective tissues of your body.
“My knees and my kneecaps kept dislocating with very light activity like going up and down the stairs and eventually almost every joint began to dislocate sporadically with low impact,” Singhan says.
“It’s motivated me to go into the medical field because I want people to feel like they have hope in whatever they are going through. There’s light at the end of that tunnel, even if it is very dark sometimes.”
Singhan also spearheaded a campaign in her school to offer free and accessible menstruation and hygiene products for students.
Nominator Nashira Dernesch, a teacher at W.H. Croxford, says that despite everything Singhan has gone through, she maintained a 90-plus average and made a significant impact on students.
“She lives in chronic pain but maintains a positive attitude and leaves a mark on the people she encounters,” says Dernesch. “We see her as a leader and role model in our school. We are so proud of this ‘Amazing’ young woman!”