A woman who was told her various health conditions would prevent her from becoming a vet has spoken to the BBC about how she proved the doubters wrong.
Dr Kiah Hann is now six years into her career, working at Swanbridge Veterinary Hospital in East Yorkshire having qualified from the Royal Veterinary College in London in 2016.
The BBC reported that as a child Dr Hann was diagnosed with dyspraxia and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, both of which affect her mobility. She was later diagnosed with functional neurological disorder (FND).
She was told her various health conditions would prevent her from realising her goal but she pursued her dream regardless. Then two years ago she was further diagnosed with autism.
She said: “A lot of people – teachers and some family members included – told me, ‘You won’t be able to do that’.
“But if anything that made me more determined to prove them wrong. Nothing was going to stop me. I had to work for it but I got there.”
Dr Hann added that her autism diagnosis helped her: “Suddenly everything made sense. I understood why I felt as I did.”
She believes her autism has helped in her job, and says it means she wastes no times in getting to the crux of problems.
She said: “I think patients’ owners quite like that I don’t sugar-coat. I obviously try to deliver things sensitively but similarly I don’t beat around the bush as some vets might.
“I am just not very good with people, but seeing me doing my job, that doesn’t necessarily come across because I am so animated around the patients.”
The National Autistic Society told the BBC many people with the condition would “see a lot of themselves in her experiences, such as not being diagnosed until adulthood.”
A spokeswoman said: “Not all autistic people are able to work, but many are desperate to find a job that reflects their talent and interests and, like Dr Hann, they have a huge amount to offer employers.”
Nanette Mellor, chief executive of The Brain Charity, said supporting neurodivergent people to achieve their potential in the workplace and creating a disability-friendly environment opens up a wider talent pool.
Alison Kerry, head of communications at Scope, said: “Too often we hear from disabled people who were told they would not be able to achieve their goals because of their disability. This outdated attitude and misperception couldn’t be further from the truth.”
To read the full article visit
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-61421685
