UBC student marks graduation 4 years after potentially fatal diagnosis

It was a moment that just four years ago seemed almost unimaginable for Shantee Anaquod.

Beaming and decked out in cap and gown, the 26-year-old celebrated her graduation with a degree in anthropology from the University of British Columbia on Wednesday.

But in 2017, Anaquod wasn’t sure she would even live this long — never mind complete a university degree.

Back then, the young student was confined to a hospital bed as her body fought atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS), a rare autoimmune disease that is characterized by renal (kidney) failure.

“Honestly it seems like a flash-forward to be here now, and it was like a figment of my imagination that it happened,” she told Global News.

“But I do get these flashback memories like, no that was real and it happened. I just did it.”

Doing it was about more than beating a disease. Anaquod and her mother Jennifer had to fight the provincial government, and won.

2:29 Government may approve expensive drug for rare disease

That’s because aHUS can be treated with a drug called Soliris. The Health Canada-approved medication came with massive price tag, which wasn’t covered by the B.C. government.

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“I remember the moment the doctor … told us it was a $780,000 medication and it wasn’t funded, and that moment of saying, ‘That’s OK, we’ll figure it out.’ He looked at me like I was crazy,” Jennifer said.

“It was kind of mind-boggling, because in Canada we’re told we have free health care. So at first I wasn’t worried,” Shantee said.

“And then I got the news, very shocking, kind of had to take that all in, and then think what can I do about it? What do people do when you’re told no.”

The family refused to take no for an answer, contacting Global News and going public with Shantee’s story.

2:09 UBC student makes desperate plea to provincial government to help save her life

After she was denied coverage twice, amid a groundswell of public support, the provincial government agreed to cover the drug on a case-by-case basis.

Within six months Shantee was off dialysis, and by the following year she was back to a semblance of normalcy. She still needs regular doses of Soliris, however, and her case must still be regularly reviewed by the province.

Earning her diploma was a powerful motivator in her fight for recovery she said.

Seeing her daughter achieve it, it was hard for Jennifer to hold back tears.

“There’s really no words. Just so ecstatic. I didn’t think we’d ever see it, even afterwards. There was times I wondered if she’d make it through,” she said.

“Her determination, her perseverance, her passion, all of that was just… I can’t imaging doing that now, let alone as a young adult.”

Now moving on to life after university, Shantee says the lessons she learned about herself — and about the world — have inspired her to be a change maker.

“I think it means I’m meant to be here. I think I have a purpose, and this kind of shows that everybody has a purpose and you have to fight to get there,” she said.

“Seeing how hard you can push and make a change, really has created a new narrative for my life that I can make a difference and I can push forward … Things like this are happening every day and nobody knows about it.”