If you’ve ever encountered a young man on a three-wheeled bicycle in Green Turtle Cay, you’ve likely met my friend, Eric Sawyer. He’s funny, kind and creative. And he has Down Syndrome.
For families in the U.S., Canada and Europe who have children with special needs, life can be challenging. Fortunately though, the majority of these families have access to the information, resources, therapies and medical care necessary to help address their children’s challenges.
But imagine having a deaf child, or one with autism or Down Syndrome or cerebral palsy, and no access to information, resources or support. It’s a situation in which many Bahamian families find themselves.
Even if they could afford specialized care and resources — and many can’t — these resources simply aren’t available outside the main cities of Nassau and Freeport. And not every family is in a position to uproot and move.
Such was the case with Eric’s parents, Brian and Caroline, who own Sundowners, a popular Green Turtle Cay bar and grill. Picking up and leaving the island would mean leaving behind not just their home and family, but also their livelihoods.
Though Eric attended Green Turtle Cay’s Tiny Turtles preschool, the local primary school — as well as schools on the Abaco mainland — wouldn’t admit him because they didn’t feel able to accommodate a child with Down Syndrome.
Eric wanted so badly to attend school that he would sit on his front steps, lunchbox in hand, watching the other children as they passed on their way to class. But for a few years, it appeared he might end up like so many Bahamians with special needs — languishing at home with loving but inexperienced caregivers, with little opportunity to socialize with his peers or explore his unique talents and abilities.
In nearby Hope Town, however, Lyn Major and her husband Truman were facing a similar challenge. Their twin sons were struggling with developmental delays that could not be addressed by Abaco’s existing school system.
With a background in teaching, psychology and social work, Lyn understood that, regardless of their abilities or limitations, every person wants to achieve and to matter.
Working with Eric’s parents, and those of other children with special needs, and with little more than sheer will and determination, Lyn founded Every Child Counts.
Centrally located in Marsh Harbour, the school provides alternative education for more than 100 children with learning, developmental or physical disabilities and enables them to become productive, successful and independent citizens. In addition to traditional school subjects, ECC offers music classes, physical activities, various forms of therapy, a farming program and vocational and life skills training.
For Eric, attending Every Child Counts meant a 15-minute ferry ride to the Abaco mainland, and a half-hour bus ride to Marsh Harbour. Still, I’m sure he and his parents would agree that the journey was well worth it.
Today, Eric is gregarious and confident. He likes to cook and travel. Having graduated from ECC in 2013, he works in the school’s Starfish Enterprises vocational program, which I’ll write more about in a future post. He also helps out at Sundowners and works part-time at Abaco Ceramics, where his colourful creations are in high demand.
Though Every Child Counts benefits the Abaco community in immeasurable ways and students are never turned away because of inability to pay, the school receives surprisingly little government support. Only six percent of the school’s income is derived from government grants. The majority of funding for staff salaries, utilities, facility expenses and supplies comes from tuition fees, grants from non-governmental organizations and sales from ECC’s gift shop. Nearly a third of the school’s funding comes from private donations. (If you’d like to donate, here’s how.)
Over the past six months or so, I’ve had several opportunities to visit ECC and to get to know some of the school’s administrators, teachers and students. It’s been an incredibly inspiring experience and in the days ahead, I’ll be writing more about Every Child Counts and the amazing young people whose lives are richer for it.
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A very heart-warming story! 🙂
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Thanks, Melissa. Glad you liked it.
Thank you, thank you and thank you Amanda for such a wonderful story about Every Child Counts. ??????
You’re so welcome, Caroline! I’ve been so touched by Eric’s story (and Ronel’s, which is coming up in a future blog post…) and so impressed with what ECC manages to get done with so little government support. Happy to do anything I can to get the word out and give Lyn and her team the recognition they deserve. . 🙂
ECC is a wonderful school how can you send them a donation ?
Hi, there. Donations can be sent to ECC via their website. Here’s a link to their “donations” page: http://www.everychildcountsabaco.org/to_donate.html . Tax receipts are available for American and Canadian residents.
Wonderful article about an essential school! Coincidentally, i just got a letter from Lyn at ECC
Thanks, Linda! Glad you liked it.
My heart bursts with delight for Lyn Major and all who give such pleasure to students like Eric and Myron whose talents wait to be encouraged and want to contribute. Thanks for this presentation, Amanda.
Hi, Joy. Yes, it’s a wonderful thing to see people like Eric, Myron and all the ECC students have a chance to discover talents and contribute in their own ways to society. Thank goodness for people like Lyn Major and her devoted team.
I truly enjoyed reading Eric’s story and would like to hear more about him and the school. I don’t have a lot of money, but if I can get some literature about the school, maybe I can get some donatons to assist the school and other children like Eric. Please send information at P. O. Box G.T. 2611 – Shannon Thompson, Nassau Bahamas.
Hi, Shannon. Thanks so much for your note! I’ll forward it to ECC’s administrators. In the meantime, lots of information — including detailed breakdowns of their income and expenses — is available at ECC’s website: http://www.everychildcountsabaco.org.
So often “Winter” Season cruisers like to give back during their visits to the Bahamas. We have donated to the wonderful facility, in the past, by bringing in an item or two on their wish list. Just something to think about if a cash donation isn’t possible. Every little bits helps.
Excellent suggestion, Kasey! I’m planning to write about the wish list in an upcoming post. You’re right — every little bit is a help.
this warms my heart 🙂
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