Stories of Wil: An All-Star Team

Wil and one of his “All Star” teachers, Kristi Campbell, on a Face Time call.

Submitted by Christie Taylor

Wil is a 13-year-old boy with Down syndrome. He is the little brother, by 20 months, to twin sisters, Katherine and Elizabeth. Wil’s mom, Christie, knew very little about Down syndrome when Wil was diagnosed shortly after his birth. It didn’t take long for Christie to realize how enriching life with Down syndrome is. Embracing this newfound life, Christie was compelled to share her experiences with Wil. Christie’s desire, in sharing these stories, is to promote an awareness, understanding, and appreciation of the amazing capabilities of individuals with Down syndrome.

Wil was having a moment and did not participate in Tuesday’s online classroom call. Typically, he enjoys seeing his educators, Mrs. Lois Bohl and Mrs. Kristi Campbell, during his classroom call. Both Mrs. Bohl and Mrs. Campbell know Wil well and understand what his motivators are. They engage him in conversation from the start then ease into the lesson. He enjoys this very much as he has a social personality.

However, on Tuesday, he refused to even look at the computer. I’m not sure what was upsetting him. My guess is it was just one of those days, that many of us have now and then, where we wake up not feeling up to it. It’s a lot easier to say no to a computer than it is a real person. I tried to entice him with a few rewards and Mrs. Bohl even offered to play his favorite music. But even his favorite music artist, Luke Bryan, was not enough to hold his attention. He ran into his room and pulled the pillows over his head.

We all understood at that point, that nothing other than time would turn his mood around. I logged off the call. Soon afterwards Mrs. Campbell messaged me that she would be available to talk to Wil via Facetime if he was up for it.

As the day went on and Wil had plenty of outdoor time, he was back to his playful and fun-loving self. I asked him if he would like to talk to Mrs. Campbell. He immediately and enthusiastically agreed. I messaged Mrs. Campbell that we would take her up on her offer if she was still available. At this point, it was late afternoon. We both had errands to complete, so at 8:30 pm, Wil and Mrs. Campbell had their FaceTime call together.

The two of them went through the lesson, about stars, that Wil missed earlier that day. Mrs. Campbell was outdoors for the call, playing fetch with her dog, Baby Bear. Wil is intrigued with Baby Bear and always enjoys hearing Mrs. Campbell’s stories about him. To see Baby Bear in action was a treat for Wil. As Baby Bear ran through the field, Wil and Mrs. Campbell talked about stars and the light they give off.

Once they successfully completed the lesson, Mrs. Campbell asked Wil to read her a book. He enthusiastically agreed. His sister, Katherine, had just passed down to Wil an old favorite of hers, Skippy John Jones. Wil was freshly delighted with this book because it was his big sister’s. He read the entire book to Mrs. Campbell. Mrs. Campbell dotted emoji stars on her face for Wil’s all-star work and to complement the lesson on stars.

What a turn-around of a day … thanks to an all-star educator with a little help from a Baby Bear.

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.