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Every Child Really Does Count
- GTC Community Connections
- Mar 7
- 3 min read
On Tuesday, March 5, 2024, Ms. Caroline Sawyer met with all of the students involved in the after school Community Connections programme. She spoke about Every Child Counts School, her son, Eric, who had Down Syndrome and attended ECC, and of the up-coming fundraiser in memory of Eric, to raise money for ECC. Following that, Mr. Frank Durant sent, to the grade 5-6 students involved in the Reporting Class, a moving story of his friendship with Eric. In the next class, the students discussed what they had learned about ECC, people with special needs and a very special person, Eric Sawyer. From this discussion, they wrote the following article.
Every Child Counts (ECC) is a Special Needs school in Marsh Harbour. It helps children who need extra help to learn because they may have a disability. There are many kinds of disabilities. Some people have trouble speaking. Some people have trouble reading. Some people have trouble learning if it is quiet and some people can only learn if it is quiet. At ECC, they teach each child in the way they need to learn. The classrooms are smaller so the kids get more attention. Children can start school at ECC when they are three years old. They go to school there until they go to work. The school helps them get a job. They can live in a residence there. Sometimes people with disabilities are bullied. ECC is a safe place for them to learn: there is no bullying or teasing. There are many programmes for the students. Music is a good therapy. They also take arts and crafts which they sell in a gift shop at the school. Latonya Moss, from Green Turtle Cay, went to ECC. She went to Abu Dhabi to compete in the Special Olympics. She won two gold medals in bocce ball.
Ms. Caroline and her husband, Mr. Brian, had a son named Eric. Eric had Down Syndrome. People with Down Syndrome have an extra 21st chromosome. Chromosomes are in our cells and they tell our cells how to grow. They are in pairs: one from your mommy and one from your daddy. They tell your body what colour your hair is, what colour your eyes are, whether you are tall or short and things like that. You get some of each of these things from your parents’ chromosomes. Because people with Down Syndrome have an extra 21st chromosome, they have three of them. So we celebrate World Down Syndrome Day on March 21 (3-21.)
Eric went to ECC and graduated in 2013. He had trouble talking because the muscle in his tongue didn’t work very well. It was like trying to talk while holding your tongue with your fingers. Sometimes Eric was teased and it hurt his feelings. Eric got help with talking at the school. He was very good at art. He worked at Abaco Ceramics. Many people have coffee mugsthat Eric made.
Ms. Caroline and Mr. Brian have another son, named Ronel. Ronel also went to ECC. He is dyslexic and needed help to learn. He is very successful in computers and electronics and works at Sundowners. He is a very good singer.
Mr. Frank Durant wrote a story about his special friend, Eric. Even though Eric had trouble speaking, he was a very fun friend. You knew if Eric was angry, sad happy or frustrated from his body language. He would know if you were sad and would make you feel better. He would take off his shirt and swing it in the air and dance like no one was watching. He would laugh out loud and make others feel his happiness. Eric would never hold a grudge. If he got angry, he would get over it. He was a good friend and that is all he wanted. Wouldn’t it be nice if we all were more like Eric?
Eric and Mr. Frank
Eric made people awesome birthday cards. Frank misses his friend very much and hopes that everyone will give a person with challenges a chance to be a friend. We might all be surprised what we can learn from them and how much fun they are.
Eric loved pork chops. So every year, on World Down Syndrome Day, March 21, there is a memorial pork chop dinner, in memory of Eric. It is a fundraiser for ECC. There are many volunteers who prepare food, donate items to sell and play music. It is at Sundowners. Everyone has fun. So far, over $20,000 has been raised for the school that Eric loved. Tickets are $15 each and all proceeds go to Every Child Counts School.
7th Annual Eric Sawyer Memorial Dinner
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