Shelton student recognized for handling family challenges

By Shelton Herald on July 24, 2013 in Lead News , Schools · 0 Comments

Ben F. Troy of Shelton will receive a National MS Society Connecticut Chapter’s 2013 Hayley’s Hope and Michaela’s Miracle MS Memorial Fund Scholarship.

Ben, 17, a graduate of Brien McMahon High School in Norwalk, will attend the Center for Culinary Arts in the fall. While in high school, he was involved with the football team.

His guidance counselor, Chad Southerland, said Ben has “a polite demeanor and humble personality.”

His mother has MS

As a child, Ben faced many challenges. His mother, Rosalie Troy, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 15 years ago.

He hopes to work in the culinary arts field. “This scholarship,” Ben said, “will motivate me even more and help us reach a new peak in the lives of both myself and my mother.”

More than 6,000 Connecticut residents, like Rosalie Troy, have multiple sclerosis, an auto-immune disease affecting the central nervous system. Multiple sclerosis generally affects women more than men and is most often diagnosed between ages 20 and 50.

Symptoms can include numbness and tingling in the limbs, difficulties with speech and vision and, in some severe cases, complete paralysis. There is no cure.

Scholarship honors Petit family members

Ben is one of 16 high school graduates receiving a 2013 scholarship from the fund, established in 2007 by the Petit family in memory of Jennifer Hawke-Petit, who had MS, and her daughters Hayley and Michaela, who were active with the chapter helping raise funds to support scientific research.

The three Petit family members are deceased, having been the victims of a home invasion in Cheshire.

Scholarship applications for the 2014 school year will be available online in October. Learn more at 860-913-2550 or visit www.ctfightsMS.org.