Dad seeks help for son born with cerebral palsy

WESTERN BUREAU:

A PATHWAY within the volatile community of Paradise, Norwood, leads to an unfinished house in which resides a young, single father, Dennis Williams, in a one-bedroom structure with his nine-year-son, Devonte Williams, who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth.

Thirty-four-year-old Williams, a delivery man who also does bartending, is desperately making every effort to make his son as comfortable as he can.

A tearful Williams told The Gleaner that living as a single father with a child diagnosed with cerebral palsy has been depressing.

“Right now, just talking about this is giving me cold bumps. This is my one and only child and it scares me when he has seizures. I can only sleep with one eye open because of how fearful I am that something will happen to him. He gets scared, too, and would behave frantically in the house,” he shared.

“I can vividly remember an incident when his heart was racing so fast, I thought intensity would hit the heart like a speaker box. I couldn’t keep a steady job because I had to be back and forth trying to transport and take care of him. He is getting older now, so it is more difficult managing him. I have to lift him because he is unable to walk on his own, bathe, brush his teeth, talk and see,” an emotional Williams said.

Williams and Devonte’s mother used to share custody but since November 2021, he has been the sole provider for his son. The challenges kept mounting as both of his parents who would assist in taking care of Devonte passed away. Also, his sisters who would chip in, one had a stroke and the other is suffering from Parkinson’s disease.

UNABLE TO HELP

In the small, one-room dwelling, the bed was neatly fixed with a blanket to keep young Devonte warm and comfortable. A chair is also placed for Williams to sit while feeding his son, who he says he loves and cherishes.

Karen Williams-Samuels, Williams’ sister, expressed that she is unable to continue helping her nephew because of her own struggles.

“I have Parkinson’s disease so it is extremely difficult to lift him because my body shakes. Currently, I have no medication because it costs $10,000 monthly,” she admitted. “I am Dennis’ oldest sister and admire my brother for what he is doing. I taught him from an early age to take care of his own.”

According to Williams, Devonte can only eat foods that are blended, so he feeds him like a baby from a nipple bottle. Without having his own bed, the nine-year-old has to be placed on a double mattress on the floor to prevent his soaked pampers from leaking on the bed.

“I desperately need a disability bath chair to place him on so I can easily shower him. I spend over $40,000-$50,000-JMD monthly to take care of him, which is difficult to maintain. In 2020, I didn’t work for the entire year because I had to ensure he was taken care of. I would right now be grateful for a blender for his food, pampers, wipes, medication that controls his seizures, a bed and the bed mat,” Williams told The Gleaner.

He added: “A wheelchair was donated to him but I want to finish his room so he can be comfortable and not have to move from house to house. Currently, the living conditions are not suitable for him so a friend of mine was kind enough to let me stay at their place while they are overseas. It is hard to have my one son what I was pushing for to just put him in state care. It just doesn’t feel right and I will be right here for him.”

Despite all of this, though, the loving father made it clear that he has high hopes for his son.

“All I want him to say is ‘Dada’. I have been teaching him to say it so I hope God will one day allow him to. I had a dream of him coming to my bedside asking me for food,” Williams said with laughter.

He continued, “He recognises me by sound and smell. I would lean over just to talk to him even though he can’t see me. He put his head on my chest and smiled,” Williams said.

If you want to help Williams and his son Devonte, you can contact him at 876-492-9696.