Earth-shattering experience calls Lewis to a career in nursing

: Created: 04 June 2020

Now 20 years old, Lewis from Hayes in Bromley has just completed his Health and Social Care Level 3 Diploma at London South East Colleges and is destined for the University of Greenwich in September to begin his degree in Adult Nursing.

Life is extremely good at the moment for Lewis. He has just completed four glorious years at the College, qualified for unconditional places at three different universities and is confident of attaining top marks in his exams and assessments. Just five years ago however, Lewis was in an altogether different circumstance.

After collapsing at school, he was urgently rushed to hospital where he spent the next four months attached to a life support machine before receiving a new heart. It was here that he decided what his career would be when all of this was over.

“There was a particular nurse called Helen that inspired me,” said Lewis, “she reassured me through most of my treatment and kept me sane and full of hope through my darkest hours. She was cheerful, funny, engaging and spent a lot of time talking and listening to me. She was a Godsend.

“On leaving hospital, and returning to school, I was suddenly plunged into yet another totally unreal situation. I was made to resit Year 10 while all of my friends were in the year above. Getting to know my new classmates was slightly awkward too and before long, I realised that I wasn’t going to be able to stay. I needed a fresh start and to reinvent myself somewhere else. In August of the following academic year I walked into London South East Colleges’ Bromley Campus and enrolled to do something that I knew I wanted to do.

“Firstly there was all the making up to do in my functional skills such as English, Maths and ICT, and then to sit my GCSEs. I was very shy and kept myself to myself much of the time. But as my course in health and social care progressed, so did I. My tutor and mentor Arthens supported me so well through every level - Levels 1 to 3 and become the second of my big inspirations during my journey to where I currently am.

“Having a good teacher means you stand a much better chance of succeeding and I feel very lucky to have just that. In fact she wasn’t just a good teacher, she was a truly great teacher. The College has enabled me to build confidence and trust; it has provided me with so much knowledge and I feel very much like a skilled professional already. Soon I’ll be setting off on another adventure at uni and I’m loving life to the max. I also met my lovely girlfriend Maria at College and she is going on to study Social Work at South Bank University.”

Deputy Head of Faculty and Health and Social Care tutor, Manju Khullar is very proud of Lewis’s on-going achievements since joining the College and is very sad to see him go. She said: “Lewis came to us to help rebuild his life after undergoing major heart surgery at such a young age. He was quite physically delicate and high-risk on arrival, but we could see in him lots of potential. He certainly hasn’t disappointed us. Each year he has grown in maturity and confidence and produced work of extremely high standards. He will make a fabulous nurse and we will stay in-touch and follow more of his extraordinary journey into the future.”

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