AFTER eight years of illnesses and surgeries, a determined woman from Penketh has finally earned her master's degree.

Liz Porter, 40, graduated from the University of Cumbria after studying education professional practice throughout a host of medical problems.

The graduate has undergone numerous hospital stays and surgeries for asthma, mastoiditis, cataracts, toxic hepatitis and severe tonsillitis since she started her course online in 2011.

Liz said: "I’d never really been ill before this but in October 2015 I was admitted to hospital due to my asthma.

"I was signed off work on long term sick leave and advised to take some time out from my course."

This would be the start of a two year period of hospital stays and surgery after Liz developed mastoiditis, an infection of the mastoid bone behind her right ear.

She said: "It became a vicious circle- I would be hospitalised for treatment for the mastoiditis, and then my chest would start to play up.

"I would be on antibiotics for the mastoiditis and steroids to treat my chest.

"I then developed steroid induced cataracts in both eyes so I couldn’t see properly."

Liz spend six weeks on an IV antibiotic drip at home in 2017, which caused toxic hepatitis and a further six weeks in hospital.

During that time, she endured an operation to treat her mastoiditis where surgeons drilled out part of the infected bone.

A few months later she had one of her cataracts removed.

Following a second cataract operation in September, Liz developed severe tonsillitis and was again hospitalised.

She said: "They took my tonsils out after four weeks of being in and out of hospital, and again my recovery was slow."

Throughout her ordeal, Liz kept in touch with the university which obtained special permission to extend her studies and finally, in March 2018, she was able to restart her MA.

Eight years after she started studying, Liz was elated to find out she had passed.

Now she is focusing on her next operation which will reconstruct the bones in her ear to improve her hearing.

She said: "It’s been quite a while since I’ve really thought about much beyond enjoying the here and now, when I’m well enough to do so.

"I think what I’m hoping for following my next big operation is more stability with my health which will allow me to think more long term about how achieving my MA will help me progress.

"For now I think getting well again and enjoying graduation are my two aims!

"After that, who knows where my MA will take me!"