This is a story told by a proud mother about her son, Timothy (Titi) Eduard Dania. A young man who graduated this year in 2023 in Culinary Arts after a 4-year journey full of health challenges. His mother, Usha Arends, shared his story to inspire other young people to face life's adversities with courage and determination, believing in themselves just like Timothy did. Here is his story...
In 2019, Timothy (Titi) began a new and positive chapter in his life. At 19 years old, he enrolled to study Culinary Arts at EPI. His enthusiasm was immense, and he couldn't wait to start his studies after the holiday season. However, at the beginning of the vacation, he felt discomfort on the right side of his cheek. His face swelled up and he experienced intense pain. At first, he thought it might be a problem with his wisdom tooth. His mother scheduled a dentist appointment for him to check, and that's when everything changed...
"I was at work when I received a call from the dentist asking if he could speak to me for a moment," recounts Timothy's mother, Usha Arends. The diagnosis was that Timothy had an Ameloblastoma. It's a tumor (benign but highly aggressive) that occurs exclusively in the jaw and affects only 0.92 people per million. Timothy was one of those 0.92 individuals. "It was a difficult moment for me and my family,"
Titi says. Nevertheless, he refused to let this new situation break him. With unwavering determination, within a week, instead of starting school, Titi was on a plane to Bucaramanga for his treatment. There, the diagnosis was confirmed. An urgent operation was needed to remove the tumor from his jaw, a long and painful process that required two Maxillofacial Surgeons.
A month later, Titi was able to return to Aruba. But during this time, school had already started, and he realized that he was falling behind in his classes, leading him to believe that his dream of studying Culinary Arts would remain unfulfilled.
Back in Aruba, Titi received support and understanding from EPI to start his studies. His mother had informed the school about Titi's situation even before he left for Colombia, to ensure that his dream of studying Culinary Arts at EPI would not be shattered. With the cooperation of the school's administration, Titi could begin his culinary studies, albeit a little later than his classmates. However, barely a week later, he experienced complications due to the effects of antibiotics. He had to go to the hospital again, missing more days of school.
Despite all these adversities, Titi did not give up; he kept fighting. "At no moment did I consider giving up." He managed to complete his first and second years of school and was considered one of the best students in the kitchen.
Little by little, Titi saw his dream of graduating in Culinary Arts getting closer. But towards the end of his third and final year, he received a setback. It was revealed that due to missing classes and exams during his first year when he was unwell, he would not be able to graduate. After many ups and downs, he decided to stay an extra year at EPI to retake the first-year courses, but unfortunately, the challenges were not over yet.
"I wish the tumor never returned," Titi told his mother during the summer vacation of 2022. He began to feel the same symptoms in his jaw as he felt in 2019 when he was already attending school, but he chose not to say anything to avoid interrupting his studies. A doctor's examination confirmed his suspicion; the tumor had returned. This time, seeing that he had already gone through one surgery, the only option left was to undergo a mandibulectomy.
This involved removing his jaw, placing a titanium plate, and covering it with bone from his hip. In July 2022, Timothy was once again on a plane, this time heading to the Netherlands for tests that lasted a month. He returned to Aruba to resume school for a while, and at the end of October, he had to make another trip to the Netherlands for the surgery. The operation took almost 7 hours but was a complete success. Despite facing a serious infection during his recovery, Titi never complained or lost his spirits. "Even during the early morning when we had to rush to the emergency room because pus started coming out of his throat wound, Titi was still making jokes," his mother recalls.
Back in Aruba, Titi completed everything he needed to finally graduate with an Associate degree in the Science of Culinary Arts. His dream had become a reality, and his goal had been achieved. Despite everything he had gone through, one challenge after another, he never lost sight of his dreams and kept his heart set on his goal, and he succeeded.
Today, Titi works as a line cook at Caya Restaurant, enjoying what he loves doing. He lives content and is preparing himself for his third trip to the Netherlands for jaw reconstruction to receive dental implants. "This is another challenge that I have no doubt he will overcome, just like all the others," his mother says. After this, Titi is ready for a new goal that he has set for himself in the culinary field – to continue his studies at The Hague University of Applied Sciences for another year.
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