[Coffee.]

Random question not having anything to do with your question: Did your dad develop the infectious disease after the cancer, or the cancer after the infectious disease? Just wondering. You should PM me about this, as long as it's not too triggering. I'm just interested from a nerdy point of view.

I would talk to your teacher personally and see if there's a particular way they would like it phrased. I've actually never had to do a university personal statement. I know they're supposed to be very short, sweet, and to the point. One tip I'd give you is try to get rid of any extra baggage within sentences. Don't be wordy, you're not trying to lengthen your boring paper about the Scarlet Letter, you're trying to get as much information about yourself, your personal life, and your career goals in a small amount of words. I'm not sure about word limit or anything; those are things you need to talk to your teacher about.

Last, consider including anything about your metal health? I know that as I, you've dealt with mental health issues. It's okay to be vulnerable about these as well. They'll see that you're strong, you've fought through, and that you can add to the community. Obviously, not pressuring you to do so, it's INCREDIBLY stressful to be out about mental health problems, especially in a professional setting. But it's something to consider.