Charlene proves she is no less than superwoman
22 August 2003
Charlene Cowan of Mill Park has made it in the News many times already. Her wedding day video has become the campaign of hope for Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute. She is a fighter and has defied odds twice in her battle with cancer.
What makes her story even more inspirational is that she took on full-time studies at Kangan Batman TAFE’s Moreland campus while undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatment and successfully completed her Division 2 in Nursing in 2000.
After successfully beating the disease twice, Charlene now wants to go back to studies. She enrolled in a refresher course in nursing at Kangan Batman TAFE’s Moreland campus this year, but now wants to change over to a counselling course as she feels that counselling would be a little less stressful than nursing would be.
“After I was diagnosed with cancer for the first time, I wanted to learn more about the health profession and help others in similar situations to me. Studying also took my mind off my diagnosis. I felt for me to fully recover, I had to be able to be in a position where I could help other people.”
“I finished my nursing course but had to forgo plans of entering the field because I became sick once again. Now I feel that I would like to be able to work in an environment where I can offer my advice to others and be a sounding board for them. After struggling with my condition for so long, I feel I need to work in a field less demanding than nursing,” says Charlene.
Charlene plans to use the knowledge she has gained through her nursing course to help her in her studies in counselling.
33-year-old Charlene remarried in 2002 and has four children of her own and a stepchild with her second husband. Last year she was confined to a wheelchair, but her determination and courage has pulled her through. Doctors told her that she might never walk again or ever play her favourite sport, netball.
She has defied all their predictions, not only is she out of her wheelchair but is playing netball once again. She is also umpiring netball matches on a regular basis.
“It has been a struggle at times, the more I was told I couldn’t do something, the more I became determined to win. I have too much to live for, five beautiful children and a supportive partner. One thing that I believe in very much is, you never give up whatever happens in life.”
As part of the Adult Learners’ Week, on Wednesday 3 September from 7pm to 8.30pm, Kangan Batman TAFE will host a free Return to Study Info Session, which offers local adults the chance to discover everything they need to know about returning to study.
Where: Kangan Batman TAFE, Broadmeadows Campus, Auditorium, Pearcedale Parade, Broadmeadows
