Brain surgery does not stop woman from earning degree

Mark Moran / The Citizens' Voice Christina Santhouse, left, works with Ann Stine at Misericordia University's Health and Sciences Building in Dallas. Santhouse, who underwent a hemispherectomy, earned a master's degree in speech-language pathology Sunday.

DALLAS - When the twitches and seizures began 12 years ago, Christina Santhouse knew when each one happened. When it was time for a hemispherectomy, where doctors removed half of her brain, she knew the risks and wrote the permission letter for the surgery. When a school counselor said she shouldn't aspire to anything higher than answering phones, she knew the counselor was wrong.
And Santhouse knew she earned her master's degree when she walked across the stage at Misericordia University's commencement on Sunday.
"I think doctors are preprogrammed to tell you what you aren't going to be able to do, not that they ever tried to hold me back, but if I'd listened to them I would never have been able to do all the things I've done," she said.
The 23-year-old speech-language pathology graduate, from Bristol, received one of 558 graduate and undergraduate degrees awarded by Misericordia at its 84th annual commencement.
Hemispherectomy patients often have physical, visual, language and cognitive problems, as they rely on half of their brain. Santhouse said she worked harder, often spending twice as long on studying because she had to use all of her senses to learn by reading and writing notes, saying and hearing lessons.
"I think it just adds to the possibility you can do so much after being damaged, and there are going to be strides and strengths after brain damage," she said.
Santhouse also used her experience in a study with Assistant Professor Hunter Manasco, about life after a hemispherectomy, and helped present it at a national convention.
"She's very much defying the odds," he said. "The best doctors in the world who specialize in this, they attempted to dissuade her from going into speech pathology and the fact she's done as well as she has, it's just a testament to what hard work does."
Hard work and progress were the focus of commencement speaker and former U.S. Ambassador Prudence Bushnell's remarks to the class of 2010. Her efforts to raise warnings about the 1994 Rwandan genocide is captured in the movie "Sometimes in April."
She told the students that as many of them are in the millennial generation, they have much "unfinished business waiting for you," from the retiring baby boomers like herself, and Bushnell strongly emphasized the importance of improving women's rights worldwide, creating collaborative and more equal governments and Americans getting involved internationally to create a better world.
Graduating marketing student Brian Skursky, of West Wyoming, said he's excited to graduate, but feels it is going to be tough to leave a place where he learned so much and spent so much time. The marketing student is taking a job at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs as a credit representative.
"I'm thrilled it's over but at the same time, I'm a little upset it's over," he said.
Graduation emotions were also mixed for psychology major Matthew Vitale, of West Pittston, who is heading to graduate school.
"I feel kind of numb to it because I'm going to grad school," he said. "I'm only free for a week and a half, so I guess I'm going to go pack for fun."
Wherever the graduates are headed after Misericordia, student valedictorian Jason Platts, a medical imaging major, sent them with words of encouragement not to take the easy path in life.
"Be confident with your choices and be willing to take a chance because life has a way of working out," he said.