Bursting with excitement to step into secondary school for the first time on Tuesday, 11-year-old Sidara Akalloo hardly slept on Monday night.

Akalloo, a cancer patient, said she befriended two students within minutes of arriving at Naparima Girls’ High School in San Fernando. Sidara also fulfilled a lifelong dream.

“I went on the swing. That has been my goal since I was in primary school. I would look across from Presentation College and see students on the swing. I always wanted to do that, and I did that today,” Sidara said on Tuesday.

Her father, David Akalloo, works at the nearby college, and she frequently visits him there.

Last year, the former Grant Memorial Presbyterian primary student lost the use of her legs because of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Chemotherapy damaged nerves in her feet, leaving her immobile for several months. She also suffered two bouts of pancreatitis and pneumonia.

She could not sit the Secondary Entrance Assessment exam in March owing to her illness, but April, she sat the supplemental exam at Presentation College and passed for her first choice, Naps Girls'.

“I am very excited. I am also proud of myself for getting here, and I am looking forward to being in the school. I am looking forward to meeting my friends. I made two friends today. I have a friend from primary school, but she is in another class,” Sidara said, standing next to her father and younger brother Nicholai.

“I could not sleep because I was so excited to get to school. Mummy (Sumatee Akalloo) was excited too. She could not sleep because I could not sleep.”

Sidara’s father said everyone woke up at 3 am, “for some reason.”

He joked that once his wife is in the kitchen, the family cannot go back to bed because ofthe noise.She had prepared breakfast by the time they got out of bed.

“When we left home, she was getting ready to work in Rio Claro. She took a lot of selfies with Sidara, and we left home 6.09 am.”

The school year started on Monday.