Carleton student Thomas Sorensen passed away Sept. 1 due to complications of a rare form of muscular dystrophy.
Sorensen, a first-year biology student, was surrounded by his family and best friend when he died in a Calgary hospital.
Kathy Sorensen, his mother, said he loved biology.
“It had been his passion for years. When he was younger, he thought he wanted to be a marine biologist and work with turtles,” she said.
Later Thomas changed his mind and decided to work with viral vectors to find cures for diseases such as muscular dystrophy and cerebral palsy.
She said Thomas chose Carleton because of its care program and fully-accessible campus.
Sorensen said she can remember when her son told her he wanted to attend Carleton “like it was yesterday.”
“I literally laughed out loud and said ‘Yeah, right. In your dreams,’ ” she said. “I never imagined that our little guy, who we cared for 24/7, would be so far away and fulfilling his dreams.”
Nathan Bragg, a third-year journalism student, first met Thomas while living in residence.
“He was clearly a kid who was just really excited to be at university,” Bragg remembered. “And smart as a whip. One of the smartest people I’ve ever met.”
Thomas and his family successfully lobbied the Albertan government to provide funding for his care at Carleton. He wrote 97 letters to Members of the Legislative Assembly as a part of his campaign.
He eventually received funding from the Alberta Enterprise and Advanced Education and a respite available in Alberta for families with children who have special needs, according to his mother.
Sorensen said she was always proud of her son’s accomplishments at Carleton, but her son, “didn’t consider himself that special.”
“He was a Carleton student who loved life and wanted to get involved and do really well academically. He made the most of his time at Carleton. That was his priority, to be a Carleton student,” Bragg said.
When Thomas made the Dean’s Honour List in his first year, his mother said he didn’t know what it meant.
“In his eyes, he was a normal kid,” Sorensen said.
She said Thomas is leaving a legacy.
“He has shown people that nothing can stop you from living your dreams,” she said.
“He wanted to show people that you could do anything you wanted to do.”
Donations can be made to the Alberta Easter Seals’ Camp Horizon or to Muscular Dystrophy Canada. The family has discussed a scholarship in Thomas’s name, but no plans have been made.
—files from Haley Ritchie and Chris O’Gorman
