Illness Never Slowed Student

Disease takes graduate’s life
Carey O’Neil
Story courtesy of www.redandblack.com

Michael Kobleur didn’t want to be carrying his friend Jordan Woods’ casket Wednesday afternoon. He would have rather been sitting on the porch of the Phi Kappa Theta fraternity house discussing sports and politics, Woods’ two passions.

“The best memories that I have of him are sitting on the front porch,” Kobleur said. “Just he and I, sitting on the porch and enjoying life.”

Woods, a 22-year-old graduate of the University, was found by his sister, dead in his family’s basement Saturday.

He had planned to return to Athens to study politics and obtain a master’s degree, but he hadn’t always aspired to politics.

Woods was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and confined to a wheelchair early in life, and curing the degenerative disease became one of his life goals, said Jonathan Mitchell, a senior who roomed with Woods at their fraternity house.

“He thought finding a cure for MD was too selfish because he had it. Getting into politics, he could help more people,” he said.