The Tribune

By ALESHA CADET

Tribune Features Writer

acadet@tribunemedia.net

Hardworking volunteers with big hearts, Demetri and Maria Wells are being spotlighted by REACH Bahamas this month as part of Autism Awareness.

The couple are the adoptive parents of Reginald Wells, 18, who is on the autism spectrum and suffers from neurofibromatosis, a genetic disorder affecting nerve cells.

When they adopted him at age eight, they knew there would be challenges, but that didn’t stop them from taking him into their home and giving him all their love.

In fact, the Wells consider “Reg”, as they call him, to be their “greatest gift”.

“The circumstances in which he was born, the doctors knew that he was going to have some special needs. We just didn’t know, and they didn’t know, what kind of special needs. My husband and I decided at that point…we did a lot of research, and it didn’t matter to us. There was a child that needed a home,” said Mrs Wells.

Reginald has also had considerable academic success.

“He was at the DW Davis School for four years. And through the four years he had made honour roll; from 3.13 to 3.83 GPA. The last year there, he made prefect,” said Mrs Wells.

Her advice to parents with children on the spectrum is to be strong and rely on every bit of support they can get from family members and friends.

“They really need to stay strong and the only way they can do that is to not lose focus. That is going to be the key. That’s the reason we support the REACH (Resource and Educational Source for Autism and other related Challenges) organisation so much, because they are the only organisation pushing it forward,” said Mrs Wells.

“So, I encourage you to get into a support group. REACH was almost like a lifeline thrown out for us and without that I don’t think we could have survived. Some of the children are not accepted into society, so we find comfort in the support group of REACH.”

At a public speaking event, Reginald expressed his gratitude for the love his adopted parents have shown him.

Among the local autism community, a REACH representative said, the Wells are known for fighting to get their son and other children the best education possible.

Now, as an adult, Reggie has a keen interest in computers and plans to expand his horizons and travel the world to explore new experiences.

“REACH members know Maria and Demetri Wells as hardworking, willing volunteers who are at every function, whether it be encouraging new parents, selling T-shirts, manning pop-up booths, serving refreshments and facilitating the smooth running of events such as Christmas parties and Easter egg hunts. The Wells never have to be asked to help as they are always there first, asking what needs to be done and then staying to the very end to clean up. Most of us have enjoyed the delicious cakes and goodies frequently donated by Mr Wells, a skilled baker,” said the REACH representative.

However, there are some things that REACH members may not know about this modest but remarkable couple, whose philosophy is that positive changes can be made in a peaceful manner.

They are always 100 percent involved in Reginald’s education. When he attended the Palmdale Primary School Special Unit, headed by Esmond Garnet, they volunteered their skills, time and materials.

Mr Wells’s tought useful cooking skills such as making pancakes while Mrs Wells taught arts and craft.

When a second computer was needed for the Unit, it was donated by the Wells, who, not deterred by their modest financial situation, just quietly kept on baking cakes and selling them to raise the needed funds.

REACH said they are certain there are many more such stories that could be told about the Wells, but perhaps the one that best illustrates the generosity and humanity of the family occurred during Reginald’s transfer to junior high school.

“Initially, he and his six graduating peers were assigned to Anatol Rodgers High School in the Southern District. Students who lived in the Palmdale area, some even walking to school, would now have to catch four buses a day, and if parents wanted to accompany their special needs child it would be eight buses a day, not to mention the extra cost and time for working parents. Almost single-handedly, and in her usual indomitable way, Mrs Wells, going through all the right channels and writing many letters, was instrumental in the establishment of a special needs unit at DW Davis Junior High School in the Palmdale area,” said the REACH representative.

And the good deeds do not end, as the Wells have always been eager to help all students with special needs, not just their son.

Just prior to the establishment of the DW Davis Unit, Reginald was offered a scholarship to a private school, but almost without hesitation, the Wells turned it down. There reasoning being that this would not help his graduating classmates. Similarly, because it was not extended to the other students, they also turned down the offer of free transport to Anatol Rodgers.

“Not surprisingly, the Wells’ worked closely with the head of the new unit, Ms Melvern Hunt, who is with us today, and generously continued helping by getting a desk, ink, paper, microwave, utensils and other items that the new unit needed. Contributions were not always tangible either. As many REACH parents know, despite the establishment of a unit, it is not always easy to get their children included in all school activities. The Wells worked hard to facilitate this and did not let rebuffs such as not being invited along with the parents of the ‘regular’ students to school meetings or to Reg’s prefect installation ceremony, get them down – they just kept on trying, politely and persistently, quite often with more success the next time,” said the REACH representative.

On a more personal note, Mrs Wells describes their 2019 wedding anniversary as one of the “proudest and happiest moments “of her life. When asked by her husband what she would like, she said an outing and a picnic for “their children” at the DW Davis Unit. Almost singlehandedly they organised it, with Mr Wells, as he had done so many times before for Reginald’s doctor and therapy appointments, catching the bus to each student’s house to get the needed signatures. Money was raised, which also covered gifts for the students, and as a result, a happy, memorable time was enjoyed by all.

The Wells work together as a team and, while they admit to a lot of sacrifices, challenges and concerns about the future, they are adamant that raising their wonderful special son has brought out the best in them and has brought them even closer together. REACH said it is blessed and honoured to count the couple as members.