Ellie Atkins-Tate has battled arthritis, coped with the death of her beloved gran and welcomed her baby to the world while studying to become a nurse.
But so close to the finish line, she fears her dreams could be snatched away.
The third year student hopes to qualify in October, which should be “one of the proudest moments in my life”.
Instead her hopes are overshadowed by the fear that after everything she has been through, there may not be a job in the Welsh NHS.
As many as half of all new nursing graduates could be left without work, the Royal College of Nursing Cymru said earlier this year, adding the lack of jobs represented “a serious failure of workforce planning”.
“It’s always been a dream of mine to be a nurse and it’s really disheartening that this may not happen,” said Ellie.
“I haven’t overcome grief, illness, motherhood and personal hardship just to reach the finish line and find there is nowhere for me to go.”
The 28-year-old from Cardiff lost her grandmother in her first year of university, was then diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis, external and also gave birth to her baby boy.
“Despite everything life has thrown at me… balancing sleepless nights, placement, assignments and raising a family, I have never given up on becoming the best nurse I can be,” she added.
Her concerns come as nearly 150 nursing and midwifery graduates from last year’s cohort remain without NHS jobs, according to Health Education and Improvement Wales, external (HEIW).
James Buchan, a specialist in health workforce policy, said there was a “reputational risk” to the NHS if prospective students no longer saw healthcare careers as a reliable route into employment.