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Late at night, while most children were getting some sleep before their exams, Shu-Nhya Powell was wide awake beside her mother, helping her through painful episodes caused by lupus.

Her books were in her backpack, her uniform folded neatly. What wasn't ready was her heart, that was heavy with fear, fatigue and the pressure to stay focused. Now, that same 12-year-old is a proud graduate of Jessie Ripoll Primary School in Kingston. She placed in the 92 percentile in Jamaica's Primary Exit Profile (PEP) exams and is preparing to start Holy Childhood High School in St Andrew, one of her top three choices.

"Despite all that my mom went through, it motivated me to push myself harder even on the hard days," Shu-Nhya told THE STAR.

"Sometimes we wake up in the middle of the night when she's in pain, and by the next morning it's so difficult for me to get up because I feel so tired," she said. Still, she got up, put on her uniform and walked into school with quiet determination.

"The fact that sometimes when I go to school, I have to be catching up with other students to see what I missed and sometimes that can be really hard," she said. But rather than give in to discouragement, Shu-Nhya used her setbacks as fuel.

"I was positive about it. My mother paid for extra classes and I did not take those classes for granted, every class reminded me of her sacrifice" she said. "I genuinely don't know what the future holds, no one does. But at least I can say my mom gave me a good education even when she was struggling. Sometimes I wish there was something I could do to help her through her sickness."

Her mother, Shauna-Kay Plummer, was still grappling with the aftershocks of COVID-19 when her body began to shut down. After months of testing and unexplained symptoms, doctors finally diagnosed her with mixed connective tissue disease, an autoimmune condition that includes lupus, scleroderma, and rheumatoid arthritis.

"In the middle of the night we had to be waking up to go to the hospital because I didn't know what was wrong with me as yet," she said.

Those moments became a regular part of their lives - unpredictable and frightening. Some days, even lifting herself from bed was a battle. But she still had a daughter to raise.

"I was just having symptoms of heart palpitations, muscle heaviness, weakness, can't move, and I didn't know what was wrong with me," she explained.

"I had to carry her everywhere with me. The hospital doesn't accept children, but because of the situation where I don't have anyone, she had to be there throughout the whole thing and that was really a struggle for her," she shared.

The medications brought swelling, insomnia, and intense fatigue.

"When I just started taking the steroids it wasn't a smooth run. It had a lot of side effects." Still, she found the strength to prioritise Shu-Nhya's education.

"After I bounced back, I sought out some extra classes for her. I sent her to two of them to try and help her to catch up on her studies," said Plummer.

"Sometimes pick-up was like nine in the night, but I didn't care because I was adamant that my child catches up on her studies. And knowing my sickness, it held her back," she explained.

Plummer admitted she wasn't sure how the situation had affected her daughter emotionally and mentally.

"I'm so proud, even though she didn't get her first choice and I want every parent to know that no matter what struggles they go through, your child can still excel," she said. "Support means a lot to them despite of, and to see the result is a whole different blessing to have."

PEP, Jamaica's national high school placement exam, tests students' academics and critical thinking. Shu-Nhya's score placed her ahead of most students islandwide, a remarkable achievement given her personal challenges.

"I am looking forward to keep excelling. It is one of the best feelings when I know I put in the work and I'm not disappointing my mommy," she said.

That support, she said, is her greatest advantage and her greatest motivation.

"I'm happy I have my mommy's support because some children don't have that kind of support from their parents," she said.