In 2018, visually impaired Berru Merve Kul from Kocaeli, Turkey received her law degree from the University of Sakarya.
This wonderful achievement would not have been possible without the loving support of her mother, Havva Kul, who read her lecture notes through four years of law school.
In recognition of her wonderful and generous support, the university awarded Havva an honorary law degree, which she accepted alongside her proud daughter.
Professor Mahmut Bilen presented the award to Berru Merve and her mother, on behalf of the appreciative university. The reception to the news was quite overwhelming, with thousands of views and enthusiastic reactions.
A number of commenters called Havva mother of the year, or mother of the century! The video of the wonderful mother and daughter team made the rounds on social media, and was shared thousands of times on Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit.
Havva read all the books and lecture notes, as well as helped her visually impaired daughter with her homework.
When Berru Merve graduated with a degree in law at age 22, the staff at Sakarya University invited Havva to the stage as well.
This was the university’s way of extending its gratitude and appreciation to Havva as the school had no facilities or resources for visually impaired students. Havva exerted all efforts to ensure that her daughter would graduate from law school.
Many learning institutions are equipped with supplies and infrastructure for the visually impaired. These include reading and test materials in Braille, or audio sources in libraries and computers.
Since these were unavailable at Sakarya University, there were concerns that graduation may just be a distant dream for visually impaired students such as Berru Merve.
The invaluable assistance of her mother, however, helped the visually impaired law student overcome obstacles to finishing 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 on Twitter, where the story was upvoted 60,000 times. Many readers shared their views on the pair’s remarkable accomplishment.
One commented, “Very sweet that they got to graduate together. Great dedication from mom to read with her every day for 4 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 definitely an honorary degree that was actually earned.”
Prof. Bilrn posted the video of Berru and Havva’s accomplishments (see below).
The powerful image of the two women on stage was also shared on Instagram. 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 was also an opportunity to call to extend more assistance to the visually impaired. One wrote, “Publishers need to provide accessible / screen readable textbooks so all students can access the material. This student has a rockstar mama. 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!”
The devotion that Havva showed her daughter is simply remarkable. Truly there is nothing stronger than a mother’s love for her child.
If not for her sacrifice and perseverance, her daughter may not have achieved her dream of becoming a lawyer.