KNOWING her baby would never enjoy the simple pleasure of reading a book spurred a mother on to further study at university.
Teacher Zaida Ventour, 38, has completed her masters degree in Education, which she vowed to finish in honour of her eight-week-old baby, Maya.
Maya died after she was born 14 weeks early and caught the serious bowel infection, necrotising enterocolitis.
Mrs Ventour, who is head of mathematics at St Mary's College in Hull, said: "She weighed just 2lb. She was growing and down to very little support but, in her final weeks, she contracted a tummy infection.
"She had a few operations but, in the end, we decided to let her die peacefully, with her family around her. It was the only thing left we could do for her.
"It was awful, unimaginable and hellish."
When Mrs Ventour and her husband, Dale, lost Maya seven years ago, Zaida had started a long-distance learning course.
She said: "It took me a while to get my head together. I looked at what other people do in such tragic circumstances. I wanted to achieve something for all the achievements Maya would never have.
"She would never have the joy of reading a book in the sunshine so, I felt if I could do it, it would be a good way of honouring her memory."
Mrs Ventour eventually completed her masters with the Open University (OU) Gateshead.
She worked full-time through- out and brought up her children Aliya, six, and Ava, three.
She said: "I thought of Maya every time it became hard.
"She was, and still is, my motivation."
Hull Central Library is hosting an OU information event on Saturday.
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