October 1, 2012

Campuses Offer Policies and Support Groups for Students Facing Loss

New Comforts for Grieving Students 1

Courtesy of Patrick Cho

Patrick Cho's mother, Fontane, died while he was a student at Centre College, in Kentucky. He took a leave of absence to spend time with her during her final illness.

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Courtesy of Patrick Cho

Patrick Cho's mother, Fontane, died while he was a student at Centre College, in Kentucky. He took a leave of absence to spend time with her during her final illness.

By Caitlin Peterkin

In the fall of 2009, Patrick D. Cho was sitting in his Psychology 110 class discussing the physiology of the brain and nervous system. His instructor described various neuromuscular disorders, such as multiple sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

Mr. Cho, then a sophomore at Centre College, in Kentucky, immediately thought of his mother, Fontane, who had been suffering from multiple sclerosis for years.

"Mom has MS, and that's bad