Saturday morning, Oct. 2. Walton Hall is abuzz with commotion. Eight-year-old Regal Noye beams as he sneaks over to the microphone to make an announcement: “Everyone please line up. We will begin shortly!”
The group gathered in Walton and prepared to embark on a 5K walk around campus in his
support.
For the past five years, Regal’s Walk has been raising awareness about autism. Theresa Noye, Regal’s mother, is currently the Resident Director at Kea-Guffin and, together with husband Henry, has turned the walk into a campus tradition.
Regal was diagnosed at age three with a form of autism called Pervasive Developmental Disorder. In early stages, he could make essentially no social connections. However, Noye said she and her husband decided they “wouldn’t let a diagnoses dictate his future.”
They stumbled onto a home program with an effective child-centered approach. Proceeds from Regal’s Walk help the Noye family continue to take advantage of this program.
This year, about 75 participants joined Regal in marching around campus, including several staff members and the women’s lacrosse team.
April Tatta, an Eastern alumna, returned this year to participate. She is one of many Eastern students who have received the chance to work with Regal through his home-program.
Regal’s family is very inspired by the progress they have seen so far and believe that Regal will be able to reach his full potential.
“No one can determine how far a person will go except for God,” Noye said. “I don’t take anyone’s report or diagnosis of who my son is because they didn’t create him.”