Triumph of Doggedness: Lessons from an Ambitious Mother

 “The nurse is temporarily the consciousness of the unconscious, the love of life of the suicidal, the leg of the amputee, the eyes of the newly blind, a means of locomotion for the newborn, knowledge and confidence for the young mother, a voice for those too weak to speak, and so on.” — Virginia Henderson, RN.

On the 5th of Shawwal, 1447/24th of March 2026, the School of Nursing, University College Hospital, inducted freshly minted registered nurses into the noble profession.

Hearty congratulations to the Muslim inductees. May this milestone be a door to beautiful beginnings, fulfilling careers, and commendable achievements for you all.

Special recognition and commendations go to Ummu Maryam, RN, Oladipo Mubaarakah (BSc Hons, UI) (RN, UCH), who achieved the remarkable feat of graduating with multiple awards of excellence as the Best Graduating Student in Medical-Surgical Nursing, BGS in Community Nursing, and BGS in Oral Practical Nursing. Her accomplishments are made even more awe-inspiring by the fact that she did it while being a dedicated mother to her children.

Ummu Maryam started strong, with a trait that we should all aim to have in all we do: the intention to excel as a Muslim in her field. “Indeed, all praise and adorations are due to Allah for this success. Being a Muslimah in jilbab in a profession that does not often see people like me, I was determined to make my mark from the onset of the programme. I was often referred to as Alhaja by both my colleagues and lecturers. I wanted them to know that there is a lot Muslims have to offer.”

In spite of her academic pursuits, she is not found lacking as a mother. She shared a hadith where the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Indeed, Allah has prescribed perfection in every action.” So, in Ummu Maryam’s quest for perfection and excellence, she lives her life by the saying, “Whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well.”

Being a full-time nursing student and a full-time mother all at once was not easy for her, yet she ensured that she was there for her children. “Being a Muslimah, I reminded myself that my children are an amaanah (trust or responsibility) that I will be held accountable for. I was a single mum during all of this, which made it even harder. Alongside having to worry about finances and keeping up with endless bills, I was also constantly worried about my children’s wellbeing, their tarbiyah (proper nurturing of a child), and their education.” RN Oladipo always did her best to make sure that her children were brought up on the path of the deen and good morals, ensuring their punctuality at school day in and day out, helping them with their memorisation of the Qur’an, and helping them build solid foundations in their academic and Islamic knowledge. She remained steadfast in this despite the great demands of her own nursing programme.

“It takes a village,” and Ummu Maryam did not always do it alone. She has a strong support system: friends who would sometimes pick up her kids from school and stay with them overnight during her night calls. She also has a caring mother who came to support the family when Ummu Maryam was preparing for exams, and a network of friends and acquaintances who offered emotional and psychological support.

“My success is only by Allah” (Suratul Hud, verse 88). And certainly, RN Oladipo is a living testament to His infinite mercy.

Her success is a source of great pride and inspiration, not just to the Muslims in SON, but in MSSN UCH at large.

To her, and to all our inductees, we say, “BarakaLlahu feekum.” May your light continue to shine brighter and brighter.

by Zaynab Boladale