User:Emmaaxklo

Childhood

Born in Johannesburg on the 14th May 1979, as her parents at the time where living in Botswana. She was with her family in Botswana till end of 1980 when they returned to Sweden and settled down in Stockholm where they remained till 1985. At the end of -85 the family returned to Botswana where Emma started school at Kopano Primary School in Selebi-Phikwe.

After attending std 1 – 5 at Kopano Primary School Emma returned with her family once again to Sweden at the end of 1989. This time settling down on the country side outside Västervik. In Almvik Emma attended class 4-6 and then class 7-9 in Gamleby before moving away from home to Örebro for her studies a-level studies at Rudbecksskolan. Where she majored in Natural Science Bilingual (English and Swedish).

Volonteer work

After graduating from a-levels Emma attended bible school and then travelled as a volunteer to Margate, South Africa in order to work with used and abused women and children.

Studies

Returning to Sweden after 6 months she was accepted at the University of Lincoln in Hull, England and moved there in September 1999 to study a BA (hons) European Business. Through her studies Emma kept employed, sometimes a little too much. The first year in England she held 3 part time jobs on the side of her university studies, and during the second year she held one part time job. 2001 it was time for a gap year and she transferred to Högskolan I Halmstad for a year of studies in Sweden, where she also was a member of the student union board. Returning after a year back to Hull and graduated with a BA (Hons) European Business in July 2003.

Work

Emma held her first job after graduation with Komrev, ÖhrlingsPriceWaterHouse in Göteborg, then did some work in London before returning back to Sweden and settling down in the region around Örebro.

Here working different temporary possitions, starting as conference and congress co-ordinator, then marketing manager and finally finance manager.

2006 an opportunity in Cape Town opened up and she moved there for a few years returning to Sweden at the end of March 2008. She is currently working for Travelstart in Malmö as a Project Manager.

Life with IIH

During Christmas 2002 Emma experienced intense headaches without explanation, these culminated with loss of vision field in February 2003 and hospitalization in Hull, England while the doctors conferred over the problem. After ruling out brain tumour the doctors could establish that Emma had a decease called Ideopathic Intercranial Hypertension (IIH) and medication was put in place. With the vision loss and medication problems Emma still completed her degree before returning to Sweden and Sahlgrenska for further investigations. In August 2003 the neurosurgeons in Sweden wanted to do a shunt surgery to relieve the risk of loosing more eyesight. The surgery went well and the first shunt was a success as it managed to get her off all medication, giving her the opportunity to live a normal life at fairly full speed. In July 2007 the shunt broke while Emma was living in Cape Town and there she had 3 shunt surgeries over 6 months before returning to Sweden once again for further investigations as to why the problem would not be solved. At Linköping University Hospital it was established that she needed an anti-syfon in addition to the shunt, after an ICP-meassurement was made. This was put in place after a gaulbladder surgery due to gaulstones.

Emma has never let her decease dictate who she is or what she can achieve, but rather tries to make the most of each moment given to her.