A26
WEDNESDAY, August 18, 2021
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‘I’m so proud’ CHRONICLING WESTIN NEWCOMEN’S INSPIRATIONAL SWIM
ALLEN DOUGLAS/KTW Westin Newcomen, 18, lives with severe developmental delay, autism and a seizure disorder. He completed an inspirational swim across Paul Lake on Monday, with his fan club gathered on the shore. MARTY HASTINGS STAFF REPORTER sports@kamloopsthisweek.com
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arren Newcomen knelt on the dock and offered a hand to son Westin. Nan Stevens, a mother in tears, watched her boy from a nearby pedal boat on Paul Lake, where a crowd of about 30 people — part of the village that helped raise the child — gathered on Monday to cheer on 18-year-old Westin, who lives with severe developmental delay, autism and a seizure disorder. Among the fan club was 15-year-old Finn, who clapped while his older brother inched closer to a milestone six years in the making, a moment that would not have materialized without Bon Bon. Bonnie Peterson, who calls herself The Old Lady, is the 77-year-old support worker who swam a few metres in front of Westin on the 450-metre trek across
the lake, provoking him with encouragement. “He calls me Bon Bon and I call him Westy Besty,” Bonnie said with a laugh. “He’ll say to me, ‘Proud of me?’ and I’ll say, “Oh, I am so proud of you.’ He’s just a very special young man.” Nan was 39 when Westin arrived and life was forever changed. “Right away, I knew,” said Nan, recalling thoughts that accompanied the birth of her son. “Knowing he would be a dependent his whole life, I think I went into the dark, deep basement of grief — figuratively and literally — for, I’d say, five to seven years.” Seizures persisted. There were numerous trips to BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver and a revolving door of psychologists, pediatricians and insufficient diagnoses. Westin, violent in adolescence, was expelled from elementary school. “He wasn’t welcome back to any elementary school,” Nan said, noting Westin
has a cognitive age of about two or three. “He’s bitten people, kicked people. We’ve had to say a lot of sorrys to the public. “Nobody signs up for this. It’s changed my life forever. It affects us financially, it affects our mental health, our physical health, the toll it takes, the lack of sleep ... you just try to get through the day sometimes.” Nan recalled the trying period that led to a change in outlook. “I really woke up when I got sick,” she said. “I had a brain tumour in 2008 and a craniotomy. I decided I could be angry and grief-stricken my whole life with this monkey or I could choose to embrace the journey. “The black hole isn’t very friendly.” Bonnie entered Westin’s life not long after his expulsion from school. “Things were difficult, yeah, but I take young people the way they come to me,” said Bonnie, a support worker for 57 years. “I don’t read past report cards,”
Bonnie said. “I took him to therapeutic riding and it went from there. He can downhill ski, ride a bike, hike, ride a horse — he’s a very talented young man.” And he can swim, thanks in large part to parents Warren and Nan, who were told any attempts at athleticism would be futile, but thought that medical advice was off the deep end. Gross motor skills are Westin’s jam and Bonnie has been his swimming instructor for the past five years. At first, he wore masks and goggles, afraid to get his face wet. So she painted nail polish on stones and let them sink to the bottom of the pool. They were shiny. He liked that. Soon, Westin was a maskless, stone-surfacing machine. “I say, ‘Oh, wait until you tell mom and dad,’” Bonnie said. “And he says, ‘Yeah, proud of me.’ And I say, ’Yes, they’ll be proud of you.” See JERRY, A27
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