Brendon Loves to Fly!

Julhiffer Fernandes Start Date: Jan 9, 2024 - End Date: May 8, 2024
  • Portugal

My Travel Story

by: Julhiffer Fernandes Start Date: Jan 9, 2024 - End Date: May 8, 2024
Meet Brendon, my 11 year old special needs child who loves to travel! He's been on long car rides, short train rides, and 2 plane flights! With his new baby sister on board, we have a desire to take them both to Portugal to meet the family! 
Every time we call grandma, he asks her to "come here". She recently moved back home and he misses her dearly. When I try to explain that grandma is in Portugal, he points to himself and says "me Pugal" in his own way that only we understand. He uses his hand as an airplane and waves in the air while making plane sounds and then repeats "Pugal".
We would like to surprise him with a trip to Portugal but unfortunately I have lost my job for being unreliable due to his disabilities and constant need of medical and physical attention. This breaks my heart because I can no longer fund any trips for him and so I believe he is being deprived of that social and familial connection as well as experiencing new environments, cunlinary, and music. Boy does he love to dance!
Brendon was born prematurely at 27 weeks. Because the umbilical cord nearly choked him to death, he bled in the right side of the brain, water built up expanding the ventricles and he was diagnosed with a Grade 4 IVH on that right side. His prognosis was far from good and doctor believed that he wouldn't make it. Even if he did survive he would remain a vegetable for the rest of his life. But even days old Brendon was a fighter and determined to prove them wrong.
Within days the water dried up and the blood too leaving him with a dried blood clot on the right side of the brain. This eventually led to seizures and a diagnosis of epilepsy, developmental delay, mild cerebral palsy, hemiplegia, and hemihypertrophy. Brendon was also diagnosed with Beckwith Weidmann Syndrome early on and later he was diagnosed with Autism and ADHD, as well as other medical issues like right renal insufficiency. 
None of that stopped Brendon from fighting. From slim chances of survival, to never going to walk, to never going to communicate, Brendon has overcome all these obstacles! Even though his left side is shorter and a bit skinner with limited mobility, Brendon compensated by learning to walk with a limp while using the left leg to merely support the movement of pace exchange between the legs. His right arm and hand is stronger and faster than anyone with 2 functional arm. Brendon strives everyday to be independent even though he is completely dependent on daily basic needs.
  • Portugal