AMIGUITO OF THE WEEK ~ Jaime*

     I remember hearing about Jaime* from one of the volunteers at Amigos long before I met him—something about it being impossible to avoid his hugs.  I’d also seen him walking around campus with Madrina Mirna, his arm linked with hers while taking purposeful, long strides.  It wasn’t until I encountered him myself that I understood how purposeful those strides really were and how tightly those arms were linked.  And it was a while after that before I realized that despite whatever cognitive or communicative limitations Jaime has, he can still express himself quite clearly.

     Jaime is nonverbal, yet he is able to communicate what he wants through looks and actions.  He is very deliberate in both, whether it’s crossing the comedor to steal a fork from you or staring you straight in the eye so you’ll share your juice with him.  Jaime also communicates his enthusiasm physically, by clapping his hands or slapping them against his thighs when he is excited about something, like snack time or a dance party.  He demonstrates his love of people by running up to them and forcefully hugging them around the waist.  Trying to extricate yourself from that hug is more than a little difficult and usually requires the assistance of at least one padrino, sometimes two. 

     When Jaime is anxious or agitated, one of the things that helps to calm him is to take a walk around the Amigos campus.  I’ve walked with him in a big circle behind the school, past the soccer field and the comedor, and down to the bottom of the hill where the cross stands.  We’ve also walked on the path past where the cows are milked and the horses graze, down to the edge of the property.  You can see him relax as his facial expressions soften and his grip on your arm lessens ever so slightly.  At times he even makes contented sounds as he walks along, still with heavy deliberate strides.  Jaime seems to know that this is what he needs to calm his anxiety; he is very strong and will literally use his physical strength to move you onto the path to make plain his intention of going for a walk.   

     Jaime came to Amigos a year ago, when he was fourteen years old; perhaps if he’d come to us earlier, we might have been able to help him develop his language skills.  However, thanks to the careful cultivation of the staff and volunteers here, Jaime still is able to communicate his needs and express his emotions. 

~ Genevieve Volpe, 2015-16 volunteer

*name changed to protect privacy