I’ve just completed my week of volunteering on the coast of Wales. I spent the week visiting an amusement park, a farm park, riding a steam train, going on a funicular railway, and dolphin spotting in a boat. But really I spent the week chasing after a profoundly deaf and mostly blind, fiercely independent, on-the-go, 14 year old boy. I think I have some awareness of how RobO must have felt during our first holiday together because this little guy and I have some things in common!
To be very honest, the week was very challenging for me. I expected my ‘holiday maker’ to be able to communicate and make choices much more than he was able to. Being a 14 year old boy but unable to ‘act out’ in the way typical 14 years olds can, he demonstrated his dislike by either bowel or bladder behaviours or biting his left wrist to the bone. There were times when I was counting the hours until the end of the week.
But there were also glimmers of rewards: seeing his proud face after riding the biggest, scariest roller coaster at the amusement park, seeing the joy in his eyes when holding a baby goat or bunny, and watching his world open up when he independently swam around in the pool. Having him wrap his arms around me, not wanting to leave at the end of the holiday, gave me the positive reinforcement that I met my goal of helping him to enjoy his week.
And now I sit, alone in a cafe, feeling a bit like I’m missing something!
I also feel very thankful for my ability to see, hear, and move around a room independently. There are a lot of things that I take for granted, especially when on a 6 month trip across the globe.
Here are some pictures of the week, though for obvious reasons I can’t post the ones that clearly show my little friend!
This was how I spent most of the week. The little guy lead the way!
Loving the bright lights at the arcade!
I’m now awaiting my bus to head up to northern Wales. I plan to spend my last week in Europe hiking in an area called Snowdonia.
