M’sian Graduate Loses Battle to Ovarian Cancer After Completing Cancer Thesis Research for Her PhD

A 36-year-old woman finished her Doctorate in Public Health after researching cancer for her PhD thesis a few years back, with the 26th Convocation Ceremony of Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) held recently.

Before pursuing her Doctorate, Nornazirah Ahmad Kamarudin worked at the Penampang Health Clinic. She had been married for 4 years and dreamed of starting a family.

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“Her efforts paid off”

However, Nornazirah couldn’t attend her own convocation because she passed away from ovarian cancer on April 18, 2024, and her dad stepped in to represent her, as shared in a Facebook post.

“Thank you, USM, for guiding my daughter throughout her studies. Even though she didn’t make it to the end, her efforts paid off,” he said.

65-year-old Ahmad Kamarudin Ibrahim stood in for his late daughter during the ceremony, appearing emotional yet proud as he received the degree scroll from the Governor of Sabah, Tun Datuk Seri Panglima (Dr.) Haji Juhar Datuk Haji Mahiruddin.

He expressed how moved he was that her hard work and dedication were still recognised, even though she couldn’t be there.

“She was a dutiful daughter”

Nornazirah’s mum, Tursinah Ibrahim, also shared her sadness and pride, remembering how determined her daughter was to earn her Doctorate.

She described Nornazirah as a daughter who always wanted to help others and never wanted to be a burden, with a really strong spirit.

“Even when she was sick, she would still open her laptop to work on her thesis. If she owes anything to her friends or USM please let us know, we’ll make sure to settle it.”

Nornazirah was one of 4,493 graduates who received their degrees at this year’s convocation ceremony at USM.

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