By MICKEY HENNESSEY
STAFF WRITER
Brian Roach, 20, attributes his decision to attend Rutgers University, as well as much else in his life, to having a younger cousin born with Down syndrome.
When Roach was 5, his cousin, Jenna Lavesque, was born with Down Syndrome. Her struggle instilled in him the importance of family and the desire to stay both physically and emotionally close to them, he said.
| Brian Roach (top, center) and family |
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When the time came to choose a university, Roach, a Connecticut native, was accepted by several institutions in faraway locations such as North Carolina. Having his cousin in Connecticut played a role, since it's relatively close to Rutgers. |
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But having other membes of his family located just 20 minutes outside of the college made it an obvious choice, he said.
“It’s because of Jenna that my family has become so close,” said Roach. “And it is for that reason that I choose to go to Rutgers.”
Since arriving at New Brunswick, N.J., Roach has been able to visit an aunt and uncle who live only 20 minutes away from the Rutgers campus on an almost weekly basis.
“Even though Jenna is still back in Connecticut, just being with any family members brings everything together,” said Roach.
Roach grew up in a suburban Connecticut town with extended family, including Jenna, living on the same street as his house. Nightly dinners would alternate between houses as the group of nine would spend evenings together.
“It was easier for everyone to have Jenna surrounded with love and care,” said Roach. “She made the family 10 times closer.”
Being able to visit his aunt and uncle now brings back visions of the past and shows the everlasting effect Jenna has had on his life.
“Sometimes when I’m at my aunt and uncle’s house here in New Jersey, we call up to Connecticut. Being able to talk to all my family members at once makes it feel like nothing has changed,” he said.
Roach says his life as a student isn’t affected too much, as he is accustomed to separating school from family life. “As a college student it is actually easier to stay in contact because I now have so many windows of free time,” said Roach.
“Besides,” said Roach, “Jenna is so busy with her ballet classes and school work now that she doesn’t need us around all the time anymore. She’s really come a long way from the quiet girl who always needed family members around her.”
The bonds have been maintained so strongly that the entire extended family plans to embark on vacation together this upcoming summer, just like they did when Roach was young.
“I remember all of us climbing a cliff and jumping off into the [Atlantic Ocean]. Just having Jenna there playing in the sand and cheering us on made it great. I can’t wait to go back and it’s the best vacation I’ve ever had,” said Roach of his family’s 1998 Bermudian excursion.
Down syndrome affects an estimated 1 out of 1,000 individuals, according to Google Health. For more information on the disorder, visit the National Down Syndrome Society’s website at: http://www.ndss.org/. |
