By Brett Callwood
In 1973, Regina Paris was born three months premature and weighing 1 pound, 14 ounces. That she survives was considered a miracle and, when she turned one year old in 1974, the GVN ran a story about her. In 1992, as she was turning 20, this publication caught up with Paris again. Now, she’s turning 50.
Back in 1992, Joy Dockter wrote that 1973 was a “full decade before premature babies born so prematurely began surviving with any regularity.”
“Paris, who is herself deaf, has been volunteering at Carr Elementary for almost three years,” the article continued. “Every Tuesday, she works with teacher Kathy Aiso and a teacher’s aide to teach a dozen curious children about the wonderful but silent word around them.”
Today, Paris says that she graduated in 1994, shortly after turning 21.
“I was volunteering in a deaf class, at the end of that summer that volunteer job ended,” Paris told the GVN. “After graduating, I went to El Camino college and took photography and child development classes, thinking I might want to be a teacher but I ended up not becoming a teacher. I have learning disabilities so school was hard for me, but art, that’s where I excelled, I am gifted in art, something I did not learn in school. It comes naturally to me. I did not continue college past those two classes.”
Paris actually took some photographs for the GVN in the mid ‘90s, but it was in 2000 that she turned her artistic hands to clay.
“I learned to sculpt babies out of polymer clay,” she said. “I had seen lifelike newborn baby dolls in a magazine and could not afford one so I made one for myself, which was not that good compared to now. So for 23 years I have been sculpting and learning other crafts. I taught myself to crochet left handed which is not an easy task. I then ended up crocheting about five blankets that were given to foster kids at a camp through a church. I really enjoy doll making the most. One photo I sent you is a doll displayed at an art show that my family’s church had a few years back and another one I sent someone in 2020.”
Paris has lived in Gardena for her entire life. Despite her challenges, the buses offered her some independence but, when line 4 was stopped during the pandemic, she was practically left housebound. As of now, live 4 hasn’t been restarted.
“I am however sometimes able to get a ride to places but I do miss not being able to go places on my own,” Paris said.
