Dephnie soldiers on, with God by her side

By MICHELLE AUAMOROMORO
DEPHNIE Kelly, 37, whose parents are from Western Highlands and Morobe, posted the following on her Facebook account two days before her graduation on March 15: “Life is a roller coaster. There are high points and there are low points. Sometimes it can be painful and challenging and sometimes fun with laughter. My low points were frequent in and out of hospitals, sick after sick, drugs after drugs, needles after needles etc. The last hospital visitation was the worst and the most painful one. I was discharged on Wednesday (March 11) and I’m still in pain. But I will travel today (March 13) for my most important day, my graduation, which I worked hard for over four years. I’m at peace because my Lord knows that I can handle this. I will be graduating with crutches despite my 3 per cent probability of being there for the graduation.”

It was basically the summary of her life so far.
Dephnie injured her right foot when she was six in 1989. The tyre of a bus ran over it at the Mt Hagen showground.
“I started my schooling days with my foot injury so it has been part of my life ever since. My injured foot was not really a problem during my childhood but as years went by, I felt the pain in certain areas.”
The worst pain she felt was during the second semester of her final year at the Divine Word University last year.
She resolved to fight it. She had come a long way. She couldn’t give up with her prize beckoning.
“What kept me going was the man who never gave up on me – my dad. He deserved a smile on his face.”
Dephnie is the eldest of a family of four.

“ Sometimes I ask the Lord: Why me? But the Lord knows best. I can’t wait to ask Him in heaven one day.”

When she dropped out of the Kabiufa Adventist Secondary School in 1999, her dad encouraged her to take up short business courses. He enrolled her at the Commercial Training College and Institute of Professional Studies.
In 2008, she was accepted to pursue a Diploma in Office Administration programme at the Lease Technical College, now called the National Polytechnic Institute of PNG. She had a baby daughter during her second year but managed to complete the program and graduate in 2010.
Her dad again pushed her to go further.
“He really wanted me to get a degree. He said that life was tough for women nowadays and that I had health issues as well. So I needed to be (qualified) enough to support myself and my child. He promised me that he would keep on supporting me as long as he was working.”
Dephnie had to do grades 11 and 12 again through matriculation at the Mt. Hagen Department of Distance Learning center.

After completing matriculation, she was accepted at DWU as a non-school leaver in 2016 to pursue a Bachelor in Business Management programme.
She went in and out of hospital while at DWU. The last time she was admitted was six days before the graduation. She was discharged after two days.
“I told myself that I had worked hard for four years and my whole family was looking forward to that special day.”
Despite the pain in her body, she walked up supported by crutches to receive her Bachelor of Business Management degree with her mum by her side.
It was then that she realised how slow she had been in achieving many things in life because of her health issues.
“I am unique because my story is not the same as those of others. I was small when I had that accident. Sometimes I blame my parents. Sometimes I ask the Lord: Why me?
“But the Lord knows best. I can’t wait to ask Him in heaven one day.”
The biggest lesson she has learnt out of all these is to trust God’s plan and timing.
“What has happened has happened. I have to move on in life.”