When a headache on the morning of Sept. 9 suddenly became more than a mild pain, UB alumnus Reginald Jacinthe knew something was seriously wrong.
His roommate noticed he was sweating and a bit disoriented. They called 911 and an ambulance rushed him to Washington Adventist Hospital, where doctors discovered bleeding on the brain. That evening, Jacinthe underwent emergency brain surgery at Washington Hospital Center to reduce swelling when they discovered and removed a brain tumor.
After extensive testing, the 27-year-old was officially diagnosed with stage-5 brain cancer two weeks later.
Jacinthe, a native of Brooklyn and second generation Haitian, graduated from UB in 2004 with a degree in Health and Human Services, where his charismatic personality quickly helped him to become an integral part of the Buffalo community. In 2004, he was awarded UB's Pillars of Leadership Award.
Now, it is the Buffalo community that is giving back to Jacinthe. Both close friends and those out of contact for several years are reciprocating his good works and flocking to his bedside to cheer on his slow recovery.
Jacinthe's mother Marie Louis, a nursing assistant at a hospital in Brooklyn, arrived in Washington Sunday, Sept. 10, the morning after his surgery when he was in the ICU.
"You can't imagine," Louis said. "He was in a coma. He was in very bad shape. He couldn't talk to me."
Emmanuella Jean Pierre, Jacinthe's girlfriend of one year, followed the ambulance to the hospital and watched in horror.
"I wasn't really reacting," she said. "Even now I feel like I'm in a daze."
Jacinthe is now at the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington, DC where he was transferred Oct. 12. There he has begun physical therapy and is eating on his own. His family is working with his doctors to decide which treatment options are best.
A few months after graduating, Jacinthe relocated to Maryland, where he had family and friends and took a job as a math teacher for troubled teenagers at Oakhill Academy. He was only a few weeks into his first semester of grad school at American University, with the intention of majoring in education, when he became ill.
At UB, Jacinthe was a member of the Haitian Student Association and the Association of Pre-Medical Students, president of Minorities in Health Related Professions, a resident advisor and a youth group leader for the Boys to Men program at North Buffalo Community Church (NBCC). His friends said he is one of a kind.
"He's like one of those guys that when he walks in a room, everyone notices," said Annika Morgan, a long-time friend of Jacinthe who attended Brooklyn Technical High School and UB with him. She traveled with a group of friends Sunday morning to visit him for the second time.
"Everyone loved Reggie. All the guys respected him. All the girls wanted to date him," said Jenna Chrisphonte, a first year UB law student.
William Smith, senior pastor of the NBCC, said pain rippled throughout the church community upon hearing about Jacinthe.
"He was gone a couple years but the connection was deep," Smith said.
Smith said Jacinthe was always drawn to young people, and had hope that their lives could be better. He was also drawn to adults, seeking advice and asking them about their childhood - one elderly lady who enjoyed telling him about the old days often made him whatever he wanted for dinner.
"He knew how to handle adversity," Smith said, citing a time when Jacinthe was a victim of identity theft and took it with a stiff upper lip.
Russell Bell, leader of the Boys to Men program at NBCC, said Jacinthe mentored his son and watched Jacinthe struggle to become more Christ-like in all aspects of his life and seek the best choices.
According to Bell, Dr. Daniel Castellani, a neurologist practicing in Williamsville, and Dr. Janet Winston, a pathologist at Roswell Park, were among the church members that have made a point to visit Jacinthe within the past two months.
After graduating, Jacinthe roomed with his friend Claudio Acevedo, a senior economics major from the Dominican Republic. The two met by chance when Acevedo noticed Jacinthe reading scripture passages on the computer.
"I thought, man I want to hang out with this kid," Acevedo said. From that day on, Jacinthe began calling Acevedo every morning at 8 a.m. so they could read the bible together. Acevedo visited Jacinthe last month, although he was barely lucid.
A father figure to 15-year-old sister Athina "Tina" Chartelain, Jacinthe made sure to be actively involved in her life, even from afar. Last Valentine's Day, he sent her flowers to her high school because he felt he should be her Valentine.
"Me and him, we have a special bond," Tina said, who now calls her brother's hospital room everyday after school.
"Being there for him is helping me deal with the situation," Jean Pierre said. "You make plans and dreams and all that but you never question whether or not you will see the next day."
The situation has given Jean Pierre a new perspective.
"I just want to appreciate the time I have with him," she said. "I honestly don't know what God has in store."
For now, all his family and friends can do is have hope and faith that their beloved boy will make it through.
"I think he's going to get better. That's what I want. That's what I'm praying every day," his mom said. "He's a very good son, he's a very good son."
Well wishes and donations can be sent to: Calvary Baptist Church; 11305 Baritone Ct; Silversprings, MD 20901
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
