THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 10, 1995 TAG: 9509070042
SECTION: REAL LIFE PAGE: K3 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: THUMBS UP
SOURCE: BY JO-ANN CLEGG, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 62 lines
JAMIE LABBE'S ROOM at Virginia Wesleyan College has all the necessities of college dorm life: TV, sound system, fridge, microwave, computer and posters.
It also has something else: a souped up, state-of-the-art wheelchair.
Visit with Jamie for 10 minutes and you'll forget that last item.
While it's a necessity for the young man who was diagnosed with myotubular myopathy, a very rare form of muscular dystrophy, when he was 12, it quickly fades into the background once you get into conversation with him.
All you see after the first couple of minutes is a quick-witted, politically savvy college sophomore who's a self-admitted computer nerd, a law school wannabe and a long-time community volunteer.
This summer, Labbe got the chance to combine all his interests as a 32-hour-a-week volunteer with the Virginia Beach Circuit Court.
While it was his computer expertise that landed him the unique volunteer position, it was the day-to-day workings of the court that provided him with his most interesting experiences.
``It was a very busy summer,'' he said of the workload, which included the hearing of two quadruple murder cases. ``I was able to sit in on the whole trial for one of those,'' he said. ``It was an incredible experience.''
Especially for a young man who plans to go on for a law degree and become either a prosecuting attorney or court administrator.
Labbe wouldn't mind in the least if his career path leads him into politics, a field that fascinates him. He's one of three sophomore members of the college senate at Wesleyan and has gained a reputation as something of a campus activist.
While many of his causes are serious ones, he's particularly proud of one that could be best described as a quality-of-life issue.
``I worked hard last year to get cable TV on campus,'' he said with an impish grin.
Community activism is something that comes naturally to Labbe. His dad, Bob, is a retired Navy man now working for a government contractor; his mom, Cari, is the religious education director at St. John the Apostle Catholic Church on Sandbridge Road, where Jamie also taught Sunday School for two years.
The 1994 graduate of Kellam High School is the youngest of the Labbes' seven children. He's been a strong supporter of the Muscular Dystrophy Association through the years and was its local poster child from 1989 through 1992. Since then he's acted as a goodwill ambassador for the organization. ``They've been very, very good to me,'' he said.
He was seen on last weekend's annual Jerry Lewis telethon on Channel 10. He was there to receive state and local personal-achievement awards.
It's likely that no one who knows him was at all surprised to see him so honored. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Virginia Wesleyan student Jamie Labbe has a rare form of muscular
dystrophy.
by CNB