Graduate doctor's inspirational 10-year journey overcoming Crohn's disease and coronavirus horrors
Black Country lad Ali Sidat discovered his passion for medicine when he was diagnosed with Crohn's disease as a teen and now, against the odds, has just qualified to be a doctor in the culmination of a ten-year dream.
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Born and bred in Palfrey, Walsall, Ali, 23, was diagnosed with Crohn's disease after a hospital visit with his parents when he was just 14 years old, and said the way the medical team supported him inspired him to offer the same service to neighbours, friends, family and residents if they ever found themselves in need of a medical expert.
Jumping into action and refusing to let his condition hold him back, he told his parents of his dreams and set to work in hopes of eventually donning his own doctor's jacket.
And this week he has finally accomplished that, graduating from the University of Birmingham Medical School after five years.
During that time, he was on the front lines of Covid-19 as a porter for the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust (RWT), spending most days taking people that had died from the crippling illness to the mortuary - even watching as a colleague was fatally struck by the disease and passed away - all while contending with his own health struggles.
The inspiring doctor - who praised his family, friends and colleagues as the core reason he was able to achieve all he has - wants to dedicate part of his career to putting Walsall on the map, saying that the area is full of talent waiting to be unlocked.
And he puts his money where his mouth is by mentoring five young students for a total of 40 hours a month, completely free of charge.
His dreams don't stop there: he's set to begin his career with two years on 'rotation' - a term used for new doctors who spend time working in different departments and locations after graduating - before specialising in gastroenterology, the same department that diagnosed him a decade ago which will signal a full circle moment after years of sacrifice while others his age were enjoying their youth.
Speaking today, Ali said: "My granddad came here in 1964 with a fiver in his pocket, he sacrificed for my parents and my parents sacrificed for me. We're a working class family, and I made sure that every opportunity I was afforded was grabbed with both hands.
