Former University student Joseph A. Roberts, 20, passed away Monday after battling cystic fibrosis.
Roberts, a Midlothian, Va. native, graduated from Manchester High School, attended Virginia Commonwealth University with honors during his freshman year and subsequently transferred to the University for the fall 2009 semester. He was forced to withdraw from the University the next semester, however, because medical treatments caused him to miss too many classes.
An avid ice hockey fan and biology major, Roberts was the "most inspirational person I have ever met," Kristen Reilly, a former girlfriend, said in an e-mail.
"If I could pick one word to describe Joseph Roberts, it would be determined," Reilly said. "Joseph's main dream was [to] attend the University of Virginia."
She added that despite his illness, Roberts endeavored each day to live a normal life and experience the college of his dreams to the fullest.
"I have CF but I don't let it get in my way," Roberts stated in his Facebook bio. "After all you only get one chance at life so you better make the best of it!"
Dozens of people, including friends, coworkers and teachers, have written on Roberts' Facebook wall in his memory. Kevin Clatterbuck, who worked with Roberts at a restaurant, expressed his gratefulness that "there was someone else that valued the experience they got from working ... as much as I did."
For much of his life, Roberts battled cystic fibrosis, an inherited, chronic disease that causes thick mucus to build up in the lungs and digestive track. There is no cure for CF, which is inherited genetically, and according to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the median age of survival for a person with the disease is in the mid-30s.
According to a June 22 article in the Midlothian Exchange, Roberts was on the waitlist for a double lung transplant, a procedure that often costs more than $500,000. The Richmond Royals, the hockey team he played for since he was 8 years old, held a silent auction at the end of their season this year and raised more than $10,000 for the transplant. In total, the Midlothian community, with the aid of the nonprofit Children's Organ Transplant Association that helps raise funds for the families of transplant recipients, raised more than $75,000 for Roberts, as of the time of the article's publication in late June.
Sept. 20, friends of Roberts sponsored a "Links to a Cure Golf Tournament" to support the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. At the end of each round, participants could play a five-hole putting course, where donations were taken to raise money for Roberts' transplant. A Facebook page, "Friends of Joseph Roberts," was also set up in February to raise funds for his transplant.
Roberts' family used his Facebook wall to inform friends about Roberts' passing. According to a post left Monday evening, Roberts asked his family to read messages and comments from friends who wished him well as he battled the disease before he passed.
"He loved to hear how much you all care for him," wrote his family, thanking friends for their thoughts and support.
Roberts is survived by his parents and sister. The family will receive friends this evening from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Chesterfield Chapel of Bennett Funeral Home before the funeral scheduled for tomorrow morning at the House of Prayer in Chesterfield. Donations may be made to the Make-A-Wish Foundation in Roberts' name.
Read More
“We intend to stand up and fight”: Virginian politicians on Ryan’s departure
By Ford McCracken | 3 hours agoSurovell said any attempt by the Board to install a new, permanent president would not be viewed kindly by the Senate.
University and Charlottesville community members Run For Jim one last time
By Leila Mohajer | 7 hours agoRather than a Run With Jim, Saturday’s run was advertised by the class councils as a Run For Jim.
‘This is not what students want’: Students react to Ryan’s resignation
By Naima Sawaya | YesterdayFollowing University President Jim Ryan’s resignation from his position Friday, The Cavalier Daily asked students to share their reactions via an online form.
