Last few weeks were all about exams and invigilating students. I got chosen to invigilate a student who required a special chair and a special desk in order to sit comfortably and write their exam.

There was, however, an inconvenience, as the special chair that had been ordered for them had not arrived yet. Instead, the university provided a chair which is used for most exams involving students with some kind of physical disability.

When the student arrived in the room they looked at the chair nervously, and I apologised explaining them the whole chair-being-ordered-but-delivery-is-late.

They proceeded to sit on the chair, moving the back of it to the lowest possible inclination, adjusting the desk so that it was almost vertical and taking out a pillow to be put behind their neck.

The exam started and after a while they grabbed another chair and put it in front of them. Then they looked at me and asked “Could I use this chair to sustain my legs? I promise I will not put my feet on it, just my legs”.

That might have been such a little thing, but uttered from someone who clearly needed some support for their legs and they could not have it, I thought that this wariness was something remarkable.

I told them they could put their feet on, to not worry, that their comfort was more important than any chair. I winked and said “I will not tell anyone”. They thanked me profusely, and my heart melted.

It his for these little things that I want to keep going on helping people.

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