Claire, of Midway Avenue, was born with two holes in her heart and a torn ventricle valve, meaning she has been on medication all her life.

The holes were patched up when she was three but doctors warned that one day she would need another operation to repair the damaged valve.

While in her final year studying drama and English, Claire was given the news that she needed open heart surgery as the tear was becoming more dangerous, but she was determined to finish her degree.

“It was really difficult to carry on sometimes,” said 21-year-old Claire. “I noticed a change in myself, I would lose where I was in conversations and it affected my concentration.

“I’d sleep in the day and then wake up and work, then sleep and work again.

“But I knew I only had a few months left at uni and I was determined not to let my degree slip away from me – I just told myself to keep going.”

When Claire heard the news that she had graduated with a 2:1 – the second highest degree award possible – she said was ‘over the moon’.

“I just couldn’t believe it,” she said. “After everything that had happened I just couldn’t believe that I’d done it.”

Claire is due to undergo open heart surgery in September at Leeds General Infirmary, in an operation that could last up to five hours.

Doctors will try to repair her heart valve but if it is too badly damaged they will replace it with a man-made metal valve.

She will then have to recouperate for a minimum of four months but if the operation is a success she will no longer need to take medication and the new valve should last the rest of her life.

Despite celebrating her 2:1 award, Claire also suffered heartache as she had to postpone her ambitions to study at drama school.

“I had auditions for RADA in London and schools in Liverpool and Birmingham, but now I have to have the operation I can’t go to any of them,” said Claire.

“It was really upsetting for me to have to cancel them all but I will definitely try again next year,” she added.

Claire’s mum, Valerie, is delighted at her daughter’s achievement.

“She just gets on with things,” said Mrs Emmott. “She is just remarkable and lives life to the full. She has always had to go for check ups and take medication but this past year she’s been feeling worse.

“But she seems to find energy from somewhere, she’s just an amazing girl.”