The Comet hive buzzed with a controlled energy. Fifty-nine young men in shoulder pads and helmets, arms interlocked, strode across the track to the field, lined-up six lines deep, hunkered down, swayed back and forth then thundered past their leader Carol Rozek, who was riding piggy back on her husband Randy’s back.

It was the thrill of the football season for Carol, a unique look at the team her two sons play for, a look she would not get from her usual seat in the stands watching the game through binoculars.

Carol Rozek’s memorable experience was part of a package that included dinner with the team, a seat in the locker room to hear the pre-game motivational speeches from Coach Mike Vicars and his staff and a sideline pass to watch the game up close from her wheelchair.

Husband Randy Rozek carries wife Carol across the field at Comet Stadium. (Press photo by Harold Hamilton/HEHphotos.lifepics.com)

While the locker room talk was informative and the view from the sideline exhilarating, it was leading The Hive that was the highlight of a evening that saw Genoa win its 43rd consecutive regular season game by thrashing Fostoria 55-0.

The game day experience was a gift from Tom and Jodi Wojciechowski (Wojo), friends of the Rozek family. The Wojos won the package with a $500 bid at the Genoa Boosters Goal Post Gala. Tom said he and Jodi wanted to give Carol a view she can’t get because Multiple Sclerosis has impaired her vision. Without binoculars, Carol can’t see the game.

The two families have been friends for 15 years. The three Wojo boys and two Rozek boys have grown up playing sports together. This season Jake Wojciechowski and Tyler and Kyle Rozek are members of the Comet team. Both couples ride motorcycles together and have vacationed together.

Because Carol’s sense of balance is diminishing as well as the strength in her legs and arms, she has a tendency to fall easily. But, that doesn’t stop her. One time, when the two couples went riding, Tom and Randy strapped Carol to Randy’s bike with a tree stand harness used for hunting deer.

There’s not much that Carol won’t try. She’s been white-water rafting, attended NASCAR races and taken motorcycle trips. She helps cook dinner and regularly bakes cookies, once 10 dozen as a thank you for the game day experience. She uses a walker when she works around the house, but because of the growing weakness in her limbs and poor eyesight she has a tendency to drop things.

Her condition is not expected to improve. MS is an autoimmune disease that affects the brain and central nervous system. Inflammation attacks the myelin sheath, the protective covering surrounding the nerve cells. MS victims experience a loss of balance, muscle spasms, muscle weakness, vision loss and slurred speech.

There is no known cure.

Carol has all these symptoms. They have steadily deteriorated since she was diagnosed with MS 14 years ago at age 28. But, Carol hasn’t resigned herself to a life of disability although she had to leave her computer systems analyst job at Dana in 2001. She exercises, rides horses at Vail Meadows and takes a regimen of vitamins to slow the progress of the disease.

“I may have MS, but MS doesn’t have me,” she says defiantly.

Randy, who is currently laid off from his union job as a floor layer, does the laundry and housecleaning and is doing projects around the house to accommodate Carol’s disability. Carol does her share, too, it just takes her a little longer “Some things that take him 10 minutes to do, take me an hour,” she said, pointing to her husband.

The two work well together as a team and their positive attitude can be contagious. Tom said of the Rozeks, “She’s always smiling. Nothing holds her back. She doesn’t complain. She doesn’t ask for help. And, Randy should be the husband/Dad of the year. He bathes her. He does her make-up. They are just a very inspiring couple. When ever things are going down for me, or I feel sorry for myself, I just think of those guys.”
  

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