I BEAT THE ODDS TO BE A DOCTOR

SECURING a medical degree can be an uphill battle and the years of academic slog, gruelling practical training and intense competition have seen many aspiring doctors fall by the wayside.

If there’s one person who could have been forgiven for dropping out, it’s Izak Johan Haarhoff. The 28-year-old has battled near insurmountable odds that would’ve broken many people: the deaths of loved ones, crippling depression, paralysis and cancer.

But Izak didn’t give up – and he was rewarded for his tenacity and courage when he went on stage recently to be capped at his university graduation.

“It was an amazing experience,” Izak tells YOU. “It was great to have my parents there, and to