Graduate Niall's journey to joy

Niall Parfitt, from Banbridge, will graduate from Queens with an Msc in Organisation and Management from Queens Management School on Friday 1 July Graduation will be an extra-special occasion for Niall Parfitt, as joining him will be his 19month old son Niall Jnr, who was born with Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return and has successfully recovered from open heart surgery during Nialls finals.

In 2014, halfway through his Msc in Organisation and Management, with Queen’s Management School, Niall’s son, Niall Jnr, was born with Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return (a serious heart defect).

Niall Snr, said: “I will never forget staying in hospital overnight, with Niall Jnr in an incubator, with my study notes, an iPad and marketing books thinking this is absolutely crazy.”

Following a month in the Royal Victoria Hospital, Niall Jnr was flown by air ambulance to undergo open heart surgery in Guys and St Thomas’ Hospital in London.

Speaking about his experience, Niall, said: “The experience was a complete nightmare but we had an enormous amount of support from the Children’s Hearbeat Trust and families who have been through similar experiences.

“The nurses and consultants were unbelievable, and what helped us a lot was that a number of the consultants we dealt with in London were actually graduates from Queen’s School of Medicine.”

Thankfully, Niall Jr’s operation was a complete success and Niall was able to return to complete his studies.

Niall, added: “My course provided evening classes which allowed me to continue my full-time work.

“No other course provided me with the depth of learning that the MSc in Org Management provided. I felt the Msc in Organisation and Management from Queen’s University provided me with the appropriate tools for career development and progression.”

Niall works as a Digital Marketing Manager for Acheson and Glover and says he found the theoretical and practical learnings of his course ideally suited to his current role.

He said: “To get my Msc is one of the biggest achievements of my life. Not just to do with the qualification, but the challenges I encountered along the way. It has been, without a shadow of a doubt, the most eventful and emotional journey of my life.”

Niall will celebrate graduating with his wife Sinead, two Children Éabha (aged 4) and Niall (aged 1), Mum Moira and Dad Raymond.