When I was 15 or 16

Video posted December 12, 2013 in News by Tatiana Flowers

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Ruben Evans, 36, has been living with schizophrenia for more than 15 years. 

Born outside of Tampa, Florida he lived with his parents, older brother and younger sister.  Ruben says doctors always refer him to someone else. "I've been to maybe 50 or 60 doctors." His sister Amber Evans says, "None of them can agree on his condition." 

Ruben says, "I started to realize I was different from other people when I was about 15 or 16." Though his sister says, "By the time he was 13, he was already abusing drugs."  She's unsure if the drugs made his condition worse, or if his schizophrenia has always been this severe.  Ruben pays 20 dollars per day to live in a boarding house in Yarnell, P.a.  He receives daily treatment at a methadone clinic to help with his drug addiction.  He hopes to eventually live in his own State College apartment with his friends.

 

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amber evans , comm 481 , final project , ruben evans , schizophrenia , tatiana flowers , when i was 15 or 16

About the Contributors

Tatiana Flowers's photo

Tatiana Flowers

Senior / Gazette freelance photographer, CL Editor, ComRadio Producer, Writing Tutor

Tatiana is a senior, majoring in Visual Journalism with a minor in English.  She graduated in December 2013, one semester early.

Her previous internships include: Talk Programming Intern for Sirius XM Radio (OutQ News Channel), ComRadio Producer/ Technical Director/ General Reporter, College Lifestyles.org Editor/ Writer/ Photographer, Forever Broadcasting Radio Intern.

She’s currently the Technical Director and Producer for Thursday’s Newscast at ComRadio and also a Freelance Photographer for the Centre County Gazette.  She’s a writing tutor in the Penn State Writing Center and also the editor for the College Lifestyles. org Penn State page. (collegelifestyles.org/pennstate)

Tatiana hopes to obtain a job as a on-air radio personality and/or a Freelance Photographer who travels internationally to photograph war, conflict, poverty, and famine.  She hopes to bring this kind of photo content back to the U.S to show people what really happens around the world.

Immediately after graduation, she hopes to move to Boulder, Colorado and secure the job(s) of her dreams.  She also hopes to become a ski instructor.  Tatiana has always loved animals and hopes to own three dogs as soon as possible. Her favorite person is her mom, Andrea Robinson.  She couldn’t live without her.