Kansas City University student graduates medical school after losing father to COVID
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A story of overcoming adversity. Hundreds of future doctors are set to graduate from Kansas City University on Friday.
There are many unique stories among this year’s graduates. FOX4 talks with one woman who says this moment is joyful, but bittersweet.
Anne Ast lost her father to COVID-19 while in medical school at Kansas City University. She battled through the challenges and is now graduating, hoping to help others.
“I want to practice rurally,” Ast said, “and I really want to focus on those people who are coming in to the office 30 years too late.”
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Ast is among more than 270 doctors, others with masters in bio sciences and a dozen people with doctorates of clinicals psychology.
At her family’s table, one important person is missing.
Ast said her father was the first person in Sumner County to contract COVID-19.
Two weeks later, he passed away.
“I obviously wish he was here, but I’m very happy to be here and the rest of my family is such a great support and it really is such a joyous reunion,” Ast said.
Ast found out he passed away in 2020, while she was taking a final virtually at home.
“I was upstairs on question 14 of 50,” Ast said, “and I heard my mom on the phone, calling some of my siblings telling them to make their final calls. “
Ast said COVID also permanently stole vision in her mom’s right eye.
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Ast took a leave of absence from medical school and worked at a hospital.
In 2022, she came back to KCU with a goal to graduate. Now, she’ll be a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine.
“I remember thinking, ‘Alright God,'” Ast said. “‘If you want me to stop, you’ve got to give me a hard stop. You’ve got to kick me out of medical school or something’ Because until I have an absolute no, I’m going to work for what I think I’m called to. So, I think it was genuinely a test of perseverance. and I’m very glad to be on this side. and be able to, hindsight is 2020, look back and say, it really was just perseverance and resilience.”
Mom, Paula Ast, said that resilience runs in the family.
“She has worked very, very hard. She never gets defeated by the downs,” Paula said. “Like her father, she picks herself up and keeps on going and she just has the same tenacity that she wrote about for him, in his obituary. He gave it to her in buckets full. He would be very, very proud. I’m very proud.”
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Graduation is Friday morning at 10 a.m. in the Independence Auditorium.
Dr. Georges Benjamin is the keynote speaker.
He’s known as one of the most influential public health leaders. He’s the executive director of the American Public Health Association.
Benjamin wants graduates to first celebrate. Then, realize the impact they can make on people’s lives.
“They now have an opportunity really to make a big difference in the life of people,” Benjamin said. “The benefit of being a health care professional is your ability to make people’s life much better.”
Ast encourages others to persevere and follow their dreams.
