Little Sidney super hero continues to beat the odds

When eight-year-old Xzavior Roggasch walks into a room it's impossible not to smile. His charm and effervescent personality are so contagious and so overwhelm any space he occupies, it's impossible not to be swept away by it.

In most respects he's just like many other little boys. He likes to play, run, shout, be around friends and do just about any other activity eight-year-olds do. And as no little boy is a saint, so too are there the wheels of mischief that occassionally churn about behind his bright-blue eyes.

No, it's not remarkable that Xzavior is so positive and energentic and sometimes even a little unruly. What may be more surprising is that his attitude sustains itself throughout the challenges he faces every day. Having been born with Spina Bifida, Xzavior goes to the hospital more often than most go to the dentist.

The Mayo Clinic defines Spina Bifida as "part of a group of birth defects called neural tube defects. The neural tube is the embryonic structure that eventually develops into the baby's brain and spinal cord and the tissues that enclose them...In babies with Spina Bifida a portion of the neural tube fails to develop properly, causing defects in the spinal chord."

For Xzavior, Spina Bifida has denied him of any bladder control. Once a day Xzavior must catheretize himself and formerly twice a day. The strength of his legs is also affected. Most especially his left leg, which Dorwart implores Xzavior to use throughout his swimming lessons. He wears braces most of the time.

"Kids with Spina Bifida don't burn calories as fast as others so he has to eat less and have his exercise modified," said his mother Tasha Roggasch.

But as Xzavior showed up to a swimming lesson at the Hampton Inn in Sidney recently, he ran in, sans braces and smiling broadly. There to greet him was his swimming coach Charlotte Dorwart who has worked with Xzavior in several capacities since he was five.

"Charlotte has been a God send to us," said Roggasch.

Before his arrival, Dorwart expressed a warning.

"He is the sweetest, best natured kid you're ever go to find anywhere," she said.

When he arrives at his swimming lessons held three times a week, he does so without his braces. He seems little affected without them, at least for short periods of time. His running gait looks not much different than a bow-legged cowboy.

But say "Cowboy" to Xzavior and only one thing comes to mind.

"I love the (Dallas) Cowboys," he shouts.

As for swimming, Xzavior was a very reluctant student when he started about a year ago.

"He used to cling onto my arm until there were bruises," Dorwart said. "I think when he saw his brothers doing it he wanted to do what they were doing. He's competitive that way."

Xzavior is the oldest of four boys. His younger brothers are Jeremiah 7, Zechariah 6 and Collin 2. Though Collin's passions are yet to be discovered, Jeremiah and Zechariah are sports fans too. When his swimming lesson was over Zechariah and Xzavior walked out the door arm-in-arm.

One of the early lessons Dorwart imparted on Xzavior was to sit at the bottom of the pool. That lesson taught him that he would not sink, but float back to the top.

Aside from swimming Xzavior loves sports of just about any kind. A passion he inherited and shares with his father Dave. Baseball, football, golf, wrestling, swimming. You name it. When he grows up he wants to be a sports announcer. And why not. He seems perfectly suited for it. He's bright, passionate, knowledgeable about sports and he loves to talk.

He even seems to be up on local sports.

"Oh, Sidney lost yesterday, I just heard it on the radio," said Xzavior responding to a question.

"His favorite channel is ESPN. He watches it whenever the television is on," said Roggasch. "Ask him a question about sports and he'll know the answer."

Besides the Cowboys he likes the Atlanta Braves, Dallas Stars and Huskers. But the Cowboys come first - just like it does for his Dad. In addition to following sports of all kinds, he participates in many too.

"He's been in our basketball camp, he plays soccer, baseball, I think flag football and involved so many other of our programs," said Cheyenne County Community Center Sports Director Kasey Kantor. "The best thing about Xzavior is that he's always smiling. He's so upbeat.

"He doesn't really care about the score so much, he just loves being out there and running around with the others," Kantor added.

But there are limits to his activity.

"I can't play contact sports because of my shunt," Xzavior said. "It broke a couple of years ago."

Added Dorwart, "The other kids are so wonderful. They know not to hit him and they're very kind."

As Xzavior and Dorwart explained it, a shunt is a passage that allows fluid to drain from his brain. Xzavior, in fact, seems to be well educated on his condition. To him it's a way of life and he responds to a conversation on Spina Bifida matter-of-factly.

Last year Xzavior had an operation to remove part of his colon which was used to enlarge the size of his bladder. It's left him a long scar that runs halfway up his torso. But through it all, Xzavior still retains his up-beat attitude.

"He's very happy and outgoing. He'll do anything you ask of him, but you do have to push him sometimes," said Roggasch.

What eight-year-old doesn't ned to be pushed sometimes.

One thing Xzavior repels from is anesthesia. He was recently in Scottsbluff for an MRI. When the doctor came to put him under, he balked. He convinced the doctors that he could sit quietly during the procedeure. For more than two hours Xzavior was as good as his word. He remained still for two hours - which can't be easy for a boy with his energy.

This weekend Xzavior is going to Children's Hospital Colorado in Aurora.

"I'm going to my Spinal Defect Clinic," Xzavior said. "But it's O.K. I hate to have to go when I have surgery. This hospital is really a cool place."

Last year three NFL football players showed up in his hospital room while Xzavior was sleeping. He only remembers that two were from the Washington Redskins and one from the Houston Texans. He said the Redskins forgave him for his loyalty to the division rival Cowboys.

"We had to wake him up when the players visited or we would have been in trouble," Roggasch said.

More recently Xzavior and his brother Zechariah spotted olympic swimmer Missy Franklin in the cafeteria at the hospital. They debated walking up to her. She was gone before they decided.

As for his name Xzavior, that was his father's idea. It came from the comic book and movie character from X-Men. "Xavier" from X-Men is a fictional super hero. Xzavior from Sidney is a real-life super hero.