A young African lady named Mumtaaz Emeran who gave birth at the age of 16 has beaten all odds to achieve her dream of becoming a Medical Doctor despite going through the challenges of teenage pregnancy.
Mumtaaz, a native of capetown got pregnant and gave birth prematurely at the age of 16 according to Women Power Africa. She stated that she was born and raised in a disadvantaged community where she was influenced ith peer pressure.
She explained that her son was born prematurely and had to stay in the neonatal intensive care unit for two months. This experience made her realize the importance of taking proper care of her child. It was at that moment she made up her mind to become a medical doctor.
“I was born and raised in a disadvantaged community in Cape Town, where dreams normally fall on the way side. Before I fell pregnant I had fallen in with a bad crowd and given up on my dreams,” she said.
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Mumtaaz stated that she decided to move to Johannesburg to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor, despite the disapproval in her community about being a young mother leaving her son behind.
She thanked her mother and step-father for supporting her through it all. Mumtaaz enrolled into the University of Witswaterand in South Africa to study for a bachelors degree in Medicine and Surgery.
Mumtaaz said she applied for bursaries, scholarships, and private sponsors but was rejected in all. She also stated that she worked part-time jobs so she could pay her medical school fees.
Mumtaaz stated that a few weeks before her graduation, she received an email from the University notifying her that she would not graduate until she had paid off all her outstanding debt.
Not having any source of help, she shared the devastating news with her Instagram followers in a five-minute video where she explained that she was in desperate need of assistance.
The video went viral and gathered so much support and she managed to fundraise the full amount and so much more within 24 hours.
“I am in complete awe and still speechless by the love and kindness shown to me by South Africa. I felt alone while struggling during the first years of my degree and now I feel like South Africa is my family,” she said.
Mumtaaz is now a remarkable Medical Doctor, Mental Health & Wellness Advocate, Keynote Speaker, Advocate for Unemployed Doctors in South Africa, and Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Advocate.
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