My name is Philipp Abegg and I started my master'’s degree in Work- and Organisational Psychology at the Medical School Hamburg in October 2017.
In autumn 2018, during a check-up, my doctor advised me to have a so-called cold lump removed from my thyroid gland, although it looked benign. The operation in mid-December went well; I was spared all complications. As I soon felt better, I was discharged a few days later.
But the bad news was not long in coming. The histological findings were a malignant thyroid carcinoma. I had cancer.
Just before Christmas, the complete thyroid gland was removed in a second operation. I found some rest during my family vacation at the Danish North Sea, but I still couldn’t rest: The radiation therapy was imminent, the last semester, the master thesis! To finance my studies, I had up to four jobs at the same time. How could I manage that?
A ray of hope called EduCare
Back at university, my fellow student and friend Julia Hartinger also noticed the scar on my neck. She described my situation to her parents and made a decision together with them:
EduCare e.V. offered me a scholarship to support me during the rest of my studies. The only condition was that I had to quit my jobs. I was moved to tears – the proverbial ”Blessing in disguise“ really existed!
Master’s degree with a GPA of 1.2
I was able to finish my studies with an excellent result – and it seems as if I have won the battle against cancer for the time being. I can hardly express my gratitude for the generous, warm-hearted gesture and the uncomplicated and appreciated help.
Many thanks to Julia, many thanks to family Hartinger and many thanks to EduCare!