ISHA
I Used To Hide My Scar, Now I've Accepted It As Part Of My Story ft. Isha
When you meet Isha, you see the loud laugh, the dancing, the constant “let’s go out” energy. What you don’t see is the heart surgery, the hospital trips, and the reality of living with a mechanical heart valve while trying to survive uni.
In this episode, I sit down with Isha, who was born in Gambia, grew up in Portsmouth, and now studies Biomedical Science in Leeds. She lives with a condition caused by rheumatic fever, which damaged her mitral valve and led to multiple operations and regular hospital stays.
Despite all of that, she’s still one of the most positive, determined people you’ll ever meet.
From Gambia to Portsmouth: A New Country & a New Heart
Isha spent her childhood in sunny Gambia, playing outside with her eight siblings, going to school and living a completely different pace of life. When she became ill, everything changed.
She was misdiagnosed with a chest infection in Gambia when it was actually a heart infection affecting her mitral valve.
In Year 6, she spent months in hospital:
Gaining enough weight to survive surgery
Undergoing a major heart operation
Recovering while trying to learn English at the same time
At first, she barely understood what anyone at school was saying. People could have bullied her and she wouldn’t have known, she just smiled and nodded through it.
Learning to Accept Her Scar & Her Story
At first, Isha hated her surgery scar. She wore turtlenecks every day and buttoned her school shirt to the top so no one would see it.
With time, that changed.
She slowly realised:
This scar is the reason I’m alive.
By college and uni, she stopped hiding it. Now, she speaks openly about her condition, but doesn’t let it define her daily life. As she puts it, she’s spent enough time in hospital, now she wants to live.
Studying Biomedical Science & Wanting to Give Back
Isha originally wanted to study Medicine but ended up in Biomedical Science after not getting into med school first time.
And honestly? She’s grateful.
Seeing how intense medical school is, she can recognise that her path might be better for her health and energy. But her why is still the same: she wants to give back to the system that saved her life.
She’s interested in:
Cardiology
Blood disorders like sickle cell anaemia
Research and lab work that could directly help people from communities like hers
She talks passionately about how rare it is to see young people on cardiology wards and how she wants to be part of changing that for other patients.
Uni With a Chronic Condition: Labs, Hospital Stays & Falling Behind
Since starting uni, Isha has already been admitted to hospital multiple times — “a good five or six” overnight stays, as she says casually.
It’s affected:
Her confidence in lab work, because she missed early practicals
Her routine, with sudden admissions and recoveries
Her mental health at times, being around much older, very sick patients
But she still shows up. She reminds herself she’s survived worse. She repeats:
“I’m not going to die. I’ll fight it. In a week, I’ll be out, living my regular life again.”
Her Message to Anyone With a Health Condition
If you’re living with a chronic illness or long-term condition, Isha’s advice is:
Accept it – It’s part of who you are, even if you didn’t choose it.
Do it for you – Study, dream, work for yourself, not for other people.
Remember your strength – She believes God doesn’t give you battles you can’t handle.
You’re not weak – You’re a “tough soldier,” even if you didn’t ask to be one.
She also encourages Black people especially to get tested for sickle cell and carrier status before planning children, to avoid unnecessary pain for future generations.
“Do Not Come to Uni – It’s a Scam” (Kind Of)
One thing about Isha: she’s going to keep it real.
Her closing message:
“Do not come to uni, it’s a scam – unless you’re doing medicine. If you can do a degree apprenticeship, do that. At least you’re getting paid to learn.”
We also talk about:
How my own degree apprenticeship has funded my travels
Different types of degree apprenticeships (full-time work vs. summer-only)
Why more students should research alternatives before signing up for £60k+ of debt
Where She Wants to Go Next
Looking forward, Isha sees herself working in:
Blood diseases and haematology, especially sickle cell
Research that directly supports Black communities and underrepresented patients
And in her personal life? She wants to keep travelling, keep saying yes, and keep living like someone who knows exactly how fragile life is.
