2018: Berru Merve Kul, a visually impaired person from Kocaeli in Turkey, received her law degree at the University of Sakarya.
This amazing feat would not have been possible without Havva Kul’s loving support. Havva read her lecture notes throughout four years of law school.
In appreciation of her generous support, Havva was granted an honorary law degree by the university, which she accepted with her proud daughter.
Nothing is more inspiring than friends and family showing unconditional love to loved ones with disabilities, even the visually impaired.
Professor Mahmut Bilen presented Berru Merve with the award on behalf of the university. The news received overwhelming reactions, with thousands of people viewing it and enthusiastic reactions.
Many people called Havva mother or century, and a number of them were right! The video of the mother and daughter team was shared thousands upon thousands on Facebook, Twitter and Reddit.
Havva was able to read all the books and lecture notes as well as help her visually impaired daughter with homework.
When Berru Merve, aged 22, graduated with a degree of law, Sakarya University invited Havva on the stage.
This was the university’s way of extending their gratitude and appreciation to Havva as the school had no facilities or resources for visually impaired students. Havva did everything possible to ensure that her daughter graduated from law college.
Many institutions have infrastructure and supplies for the visually impaired. These include Braille reading and testing materials, as well as audio sources in libraries or computers.
These were not available at Sakarya University so there were concerns that Berru Merve, a visually impaired student, might be unable to graduate.
Her mother’s invaluable assistance helped the visually impaired law student overcome many obstacles to finish her degree. Havva stayed by her side every day to personally attend to all her daughter’s needs.
Upon Berru Merve’s graduation, the university acknowledged Havva’s dedication and commitment by awarding her an honorary law degree.
Professor Bilen, Dean of the Faculty of Law of Sakarya University, praised Havva for striving to open doors and create a better future for her daughter.
Professor Bilen shared the heartwarming news via Twitter, where it was upvoted 60,000 time. Many readers shared their views on the pair’s remarkable accomplishment.
One commented, “It was so sweet that they were able to graduate together. It was a great effort by mom to read with her every single day for four years..”
Others remarked that it simply wasn’t a matter of just reading the notes, Havva would have to understand the materials and explain them to her visually impaired daughter.
“There’s no way you could do that without absorbing a whole lot of it. And that stuff is dense, it’s often a challenge just to read and comprehend, let alone analyze and interpret,” said the reader.
Another chimed in, “This is an honorary degree that was earned..”
Prof. Bilrn posted the video of Berru and Havva’s accomplishment (see below).
Instagram also shared the powerful image of the women on stage. More people congratulated the mother and daughter, with one stating, “Because of mom’s support, this girl is going to do some amazing things in life! Kudos to BOTH of you beautiful women!” Another remarked, “There is no force stronger than a mother’s love.”
The news also provided an opportunity for people with visual impairments to call for more assistance. One wrote, “Publishers need to provide accessible / screen readable textbooks so all students can access the material. This student has a rockstar mom. Not everyone does.”
Another added, “Amazing mom, but she shouldn’t have to do that. If this is in America, ADA should’ve covered audiobooks for her daughter!”
It is amazing to see the devotion Havva showed her daughter. Truly there is nothing stronger than a mother’s love for her child.
Her perseverance and sacrifice were not enough to make her dream come true.
Check out this awesome video: Görme engelli kızına destek olan anneye fahri mezuniyet belgesi – SAKARYA https://t.co/90jp8f4BjV Fakültemiz mezuniyet töreninde kamuoyunda büyük ilgi gören mütevazı belge ve teşekkürümüzün özet video görüntüsü
— Mahmut Bilen (@Bilenmah) July 13, 2018
