A set of quadruplets are among the 250 seniors graduating from South Plainfield High School on Friday. The four siblings have been through a lot these past couple of years — so much that one of them wasn’t even sure she wanted to attend graduation. That is until she got a show of support from her classmates.
Stephanie, Joseph, Anthony and Patricia Lacasale have been in school together since kindergarten.
“I love it,” Patricia said. “You’re not lonely, they’re four of my best friends.”
Patricia had to lean on her sister and brothers for support even more these past two years. She fell and fractured her ankle two summers ago, and after multiple surgeries and complications, she’s now in a wheelchair and was homeschooled for her junior and senior year.
“They are my biggest supporters,” Patricia said. “They want me to walk again, they want me to try.”
After so many months away from school, Patricia initially didn’t want to go to her senior prom. That was until her siblings talked her into it. They were all in for a big surprise when Patricia was crowned prom queen.
“I thought this was some kind of joke — me out of all people? I just didn’t expect it,” Patricia said.
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“We didn’t know the class would do something like that and we were all happily shocked,” Stephanie said.
It meant everything to Patricia to know that her classmates remembered her and cared about her after two painful years.
“It shows that they’re compassionate and considerate, and they don’t forget about her,” Patricia’s friend Kaitlin Boros said.
The siblings’ mother remembers when her four babies were born and when they were baptized. Now they’re graduating.
“It’s a celebration of four individuals who happen to be born on the same day,” Danielle Lacasale said.
Next year, three of the quadruplets are heading to Georgian Court University. Patricia will stay home to continue treatment and hopefully walk again. Danielle is grateful her last memories of high school are filled with joy.
"Good kids still exist, and we have 200 plus of them graduating tonight," Danielle said.
The quadruplets have one brother, Christopher. He was born a year after them and will graduate next year.
