Am I crazy to consider ABD Africa with a special needs family member?

[cdhheidi]

He is my young adult son, and has pretty much always wanted to go to Africa. We had to turn down his Make a Wish to go to Madagascar when he was 5 because his health was way to precarious at that point! San Diego zoo/wildlife park, etc was about the best we could do... we have been to probably 30+ zoo's around the country and even in Canada. His dream is to see Hyena's and other African wildlife where they live, to shoot photos and video if at all possible.

Since his wish trip his health has thankfully improved (after going through a lot of complex issues) but he still has some needs that require care. For example he is strictly tube fed and requires a bipap machine at night, as well as oxygen when flying or at night or during the day above 3,000 ft. That's why we felt a travel group like ABD would be best, so we would be able to stay in good hotels rather than camping or "glamping" like some advertise.

We are experienced travelers here in the states, I even took him on a 4 month adventure around the Eastern states when he was still on IV nutrition in addition to the rest of his stuff, and we have been on 2 cruises and are going on a 3 week Alaskan cruise and land adventure summer 2017. He travels well, though he tires if he has to walk more than a mile at a time (if he has breaks he can probably do 2-3 miles in a day, but not if we tell him ahead of time thats how far he has to walk!).

Any thoughts, suggestions, recommendations, and please feel free to tell me that this is something that would really not be a good idea. Better to nip it in the bud or research other options (and feel free to make suggestions for that too if you have any!).

Thanks for your help! Heidi

 

[AdamEfimoff]

@cdhheidi what is your son's disease health issues? if you do not mind me asking

 

[cdhheidi]

I don't mind. Especially as it helps us to figure out what we can and can't do do for him. He has come so far in life, we want to try to make dreams come true... He was born with Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH... Means that his abdominal organs were in his chest at birth, 50% of these children die at or soon after birth). As a result of his birth defect he lost 50% of his intestines which is why he is tube fed, he has severe scoliosis, is on bipap and at times O2... Like I said, he is complicated. He has had 54 surgeries in his almost 20 years, most before his 10th birthday.

Most of his issues have improved, he used to be wheelchair dependent, now he mainly uses an electric scooter when we are going to large zoos for the entire day or to theme parks to conserve energy. (Taking it on our Alaska cruise so he can conserve energy but only planning on using it on ship so he can conserve energy for the excursions). Our expectation is that in a couple of years, by the time we have saved enough for the trip to Africa, his energy level will also have increased so there would be no need for any alternate mode of transportation. Having something big like this to look forward to is a great incentive to keep him working on physical therapy and increasing stamina!

The hardest thing I think is that we have the electronics for his bipap, oxygen concentrator, and the tube feeds that have to come with us. He uses a case of formula every 3 days, a case weighs 15 pounds. In other words... He doesn't travel light! LOL!

 

[AdamEfimoff]

I just think it will be too hard

 

[aggiedog]

Only you can say how you'd handle the logistics. It might be difficult for the guides to do this and also take care of a large group of travelers. If it were my son, I'd want their full attention. This could be a good reason to look at the ABD private tours or one of the other companies that offers private tours. That would also allow you to tailor accommodations and transportation if needed.

 

[Grifdog22]

I recommend you discuss this with the vacationistas at ABD. The trip has changed a lot since we took it, and there is less walking than before, but there still is a lot of walking. Although South Africa is not as accommodating to people with disabilities, there are in fact a lot of accommodations. You folks would be responsible for his assistance and needs. If he can get on and off the bus on his own, and you folks manhandle the scooter, this could probably work. The hotel at Cape Town is handicapped accessible. He would be fine at the Victoria and Albert waterfront on the first day (which is on your own anyway). Meals may be a problem, but if you tell ABD you can assist him with this, that may be okay. Most restaurants that you visit will not be able to accommodate his eating needs. Some can, however. If he can walk some, he could handle the Table Mountain cableway, but may not be able to take a scooter up, which might limit his tour on top. It is not handicapped accessible on top in many places, but some pathways are smooth enough. The tour at district six would be limited for him. He would do quite well on the Green market square and city tour in a scooter. He could certainly see and visit Cape of Good Hope, just perhaps not walk among the rocks as much as some do. Many never get far from the bus - he would be fine. In a similar manner Cape Point he can ride the funicular up, tour the lighthouse, and ride it back down. He would not do well on the walk down, in my opinion. It is quite steep in places. I also think he would be fine seeing the penguins at Boulder Beach. A small (backpacking style) chair that fits in a daypack would be helpful - he can sit and watch the penguins rather than stand. Again, meals may be a problem. He would have no issues with the wine tour day, again except meals.

There are multiple small plane flights on this trip. You would need to do some advance work for his needs on these small craft flights, but it is doable. Monkey land and Birds of Eden are primarily smooth paths that would accommodate a scooter. There are several steps in places he would need to lift and carry the scooter. There is also a swing bridge that is likely not scooter accessible, but he would probably LOVE to walk across it, and then back. It is perfectly safe, and he can hold on.

I am not sure that he could do the day in Knysna. It is a tiny ferry across the sound, which is spectacular. Then you are loaded into four wheel drive vehicles, over rough terrain. The walk up the mountain and back may be too much for him - you might contact the featherbed nature preserve even before calling ABD to get their take on it. Nevertheless, we have seen people on our ABD tours opt out of a program, and disney was fine with that. Knysna has many things to do and see anyway, as well as just take a break day. However, this was one of our favorite spots. Our young daughter here found a puff adder (an extremely poisonous snake), and the Craig, the local ABD guide was calm and wonderful in his firm redirection of her to a safer spot. LOVE LOVE LOVE Craig, the ABD local guide, by the way.

The bush drives at Kapama are nothing short of spectacular. In the location we stayed, it was all smooth path, with only a few steps here and there, and the rooms were all massive and flat. Look at the pictures of the game drive and see if he could do this. I expect he can. Still and quiet is the watchword for these. I think he can do all of the Kapama activities. From your descriptions of his medical condition, as long as you can handle meals and feeding issues (there is not always a lot of time at the restaurants) and assistance getting him on and off of the transports, I think he will be fine.

We've done 4 ABDs and this one is now about 4 days shorter than ours, but remains our favorite. If you have reasonable expectations, are willing to take on the assistance for what he needs, I think you and your son will have, as they say, "An adventure of a lifetime."

I would recommend if possible you might try, even just as the parents, a short local ABD just to get the feel and flavor of how it works. They have several "long weekend" trips that show you what they can and cannot do for people. There are some people (a few on these boards) that have unrealistic expectations about these trips and expect to be treated like the Pope/Cleopatra/the Russian Tsars. They are very good and helpful (and sometimes downright magical) but they are to handle the group overall, and not spend all their time with one guest. Your post sounds like you really do "get it" and I would encourage you to investigate, plan, accommodate, and go for it. Please let us know how this works out. I think you folks would be fine.

 

[carpenta]

You may want to speak to a travel doctor and see what "shots" are required to travel to the area and what the reactions may be to your son. Also the medical facilities may be non first world and there maybe a chance of infection with a feeding tube. Get some expert advice and hopefully you can grant your son's wish. Happy Holidays and I hope it works out.

 

[Burgundy Rose]

I have nothing to contribute as I haven't done this trip but I'm just posting to say I really do hope he can go visit Africa soon. I think I'd go with a private tour myself (something I'm considering doing with a group of friends to visit New Zealand, because one of us has special needs and I want him to be as safe as possible and not miss out on anything) but whichever way you do it, it'll be incredibly special. Good luck with everything, do let us know how it goes! Would love to see pictures

 

[sayhello]

I would recommend if possible you might try, even just as the parents, a short local ABD just to get the feel and flavor of how it works. They have several "long weekend" trips that show you what they can and cannot do for people. There are some people (a few on these boards) that have unrealistic expectations about these trips and expect to be treated like the Pope/Cleopatra/the Russian Tsars. They are very good and helpful (and sometimes downright magical) but they are to handle the group overall, and not spend all their time with one guest. Your post sounds like you really do "get it" and I would encourage you to investigate, plan, accommodate, and go for it. Please let us know how this works out. I think you folks would be fine.

I have not been on the Africa ABD, but I totally agree with what Grifdog22 says here. Take a short, more local trip, and see if the logistics of how an ABD works will work for you & your son. The Guides are not allowed to help you physically with your son or his scooter. You would have to be able to lift it on and off of any transport, etc, yourselves. If the mechanics of taking an ABD works for you, then you can look in more detail at the specifics of the Africa trip.

If it turns out that the logistics doesn't work out on a "regular' ABD, I would also keep in mind the new Private trips they're testing out. There's a likelihood they could customize a Private trip more to accommodate what you need.

Definitely talk to a Vacationista. They can walk you through what issues you might encounter.

I really hope it works out that you can take your son on this trip. It sounds like something you'd all love.

Sayhello

 

[cdhheidi]

By the time we go the hope and plan would be no scooter would be needed. He can walk a mile at a time with short breaks now, probably 2-3 miles a day for things he is interested in. He can definitely with help climb into busses, as we have done that kind of thing before and will continue to do so. we will need reliable electricity for his bipap and recharging the oxygen concentrator after the airplane flights (it is battery powered) as well as his feed pump to be recharged. Since we will bring his food, meals are no problem!

We have spoken with all of his physicians about this dream of his...all have said it is ok with them, and a couple would love to go with us. I wish that were only possible, as they are dear friends (especially his surgeon who has been with him since the beginning and through every step of the way).

After 20 years of managing his needs we are very used to "doing it on our own", we never had nursing at home despite qualifying for it as we prefer hands on do it yourself if at all possible. That 4 month trip around the east coast we took was the most incredible experience (and that was just me and our two boys, hubby had to work... Africa would be hubby, me, and our son so I would have help! LOL). The reason we were looking at ABD is because we were so impressed on our Disney cruises at the care taken with our special needs, and assumed it would be similar with ABD. not needing to worry about the nitty gritty details would be nice, so we can focus on his needs, and enjoyment of the trip.

 

[CaliKris]

I have not been on the South Africa trip, but it is on our bucket list. I agree that you should speak to a Vacationista for advice. After looking at the ABD website, I see there are weight limitations on luggage (1 checked bag of max 44lbs. and 1 carry-on not to exceed 15lbs. per person) due to the internal flights in South Africa. I am wondering how you would transport the cases of formula.

I really hope your son can go. If not with ABD, then maybe a company that will make arrangements for you that work for your family.

 

[Grifdog22]

You can also ship the formula/food in advance to the various hotels, as long as you coordinate in advance. They are MOST helpful. We shipped stuff OUT rather than IN as the things we fell in love with were inexpensive and phenomenal. When we went to South Africa, really no additional shots were required (but we already had a lot of them from our other travels, so that might be the point.) You could put the scooter on the bus and pull it only if needed as well, as we kept the same bus and driver for the trip until Knysna. You'll need a currency converter for the electric (Maybe). Ours "popped" the first night in Cape Town, and our guides managed to "find one" at every hotel for us thereafter. Power is always available, just not at what works for us. The prongs and converter really are necessary, but are easy to get.

Given your son's age and if he continues to progress on the walking, then he could probably do Knysna, as it is all downhill - but look ahead by checking with the hotel and ADB.

Your son is incredibly blessed to have such a loving and helping family. Words, pictures, stories, none of it does justice to this ABD. I don't think it is possible to make this one any better than it is. There are a lot of surprises, which I will not share, should this work out for you.

With all the great things to say, a couple of words of warning on this trip. You are likely to have to change planes in Johannesburg to get to Cape Town. It was so bad when we went that ABD actually hired a huge burly guy as a guide to meet us at customs and escort us to the domestic gate. This was well before the trip officially started. I do not know if they still do this. We were oblivious and did not know there were issues. Friends now tell us how dangerous the airport is and advise: make no eye contact with people, look down, accept no help and move quickly. Also, you will stay in top notch places but on your own the poverty you will see is heartbreaking. On our own time we were having KFC (My girls were a little homesick before the tour started) and a skeletal man weighing no more than 80 pounds asked if he could have our leftovers and remains. A police officer grabbed him and physically tossed him from where we were. In the walk through the Green market square my daughters took pictures of all the people enjoying an early morning nap on pieces of cardboard. They were not - they were homeless and ragged.

This was not a tour I was originally excited about. I was so wrong. It was also a smaller group of people with whom we formed an amazing bond. Disney's storytelling magic on this trip will tug at all of your emotions, senses and feelings. As we were ending this trip, the US caught and killed Osma Bin Laden. Needless to say, security tightened immeasurably, but usually in ways we were unaware. Please try a trip, and if it works for you, take this. It will be special for ALL of your family, not just your son. If you need someone to carry your bags, I volunteer. I want to go back so bad!

 

[cdhheidi]

Shipping the formula ahead is what we are doing for the Alaska trip (3 weeks worth is far more than I want to haul along on a cruise!) and will be good practice to learn the kinds of packing we need to make sure it is safe and secure for mailing. Great idea, and definitely something I will tuck away. I have looked at some of the other operators of tours, but I keep on coming back to ABD as I just have a better feeling about them working with us and his needs.

Were you able to see Hyena's on your trip? That is his biggest love and desire... if he had no disabilities and had his hearts desire he would be a wildlife videographer and would create a wildlife documentary series on Spotted Hyenas in particular, maybe even something similar to that series on Meerkats that was running a few years back, following a hyena clan for a year. He knows there are no guarantees of course, but it surely would be amazing to see his favorite animal! (that is his only issue with Disney.... he detests the way they treated hyenas in the Lion King and being able to see them on safari with ABD would go a long way towards making amends in his mind. LOL!)

Thank you so much for your input, everyone! Lots to think about and to continue to research. Even being able to consider a trip like this is amazing... he wasn't expected to live to reach the age of 10, and to be doing well enough that a trip like this is a very real possibility is, well.... HUGE!

 

[Grifdog22]

We did see hyenas, but briefly. They are more skittish than most. We saw the big five, with lots of VERY up close and personal experiences with elephants. One almost too much so as a bull with horns was right at our jeep. I won't spoil a surprise, but they really help out even with identification of animals and materials to take home...Love Kapama! We saw lots of giraffe, african buffalo, elephants lots and lots of elephants, crocs, zebra (and boy are they tasty!) wildebeests by the hundreds, impala, kudu, hundreds of Duikers, (even brought a skin home for a chair) and had a family sleep just outside our window at Kapama, Steinbucks, Warthogs (my favorite), more monkeys and baboons than I wanted to see, mongoose, bushbucks, waterbucks, lots of scrub hares, and more birds than I can possibly list here. And boy did we see, play and eat Ostrich! (I think that part of the trip is now gone, by the way).

We also saw a white rhino, which are now almost impossible to see (sorry!), hippos, but never out of the water, jackets, lions, a leopard (even made a casting of the prints), a porcupine, a Genet (in a night drive).

The Guides were accommodating as to what we wanted to see - so if a request is made for hyenas, I think you'll see much more than we did. Our group wanted the lions, zebras, warthogs (that was me), elephants, leopard and rhino. So we did!

And for you Heidi - you will want to take full advantage of the Kapama spa program. You may never leave. (Look up Kapama.com).

 

[Woodview]

Here are my thoughts as a non U.S.A. person. ( European )

You are going way out of your comfort zone . Going overseas is not just like travelling in USA.

May be over 10 hours in a plane & all that goes with it

Different culture , different way of doing things . food differences = different brands , etc.

Have you thought of Travel Insurance ?

No matter what the ABD Disney advice given by people in USA might be .... it will be the

actual ABD people in Africa & local guides who will have to cope if there is a problem .

Think hard before you decide.

 

[cdhheidi]

thank you for your thoughts. Absolutely we would get travel insurance, we never do extended travel without it.

And yes, Africa is definitely a very different cultural experience than what we have seen and experienced before as a family, I have however experienced travel in Europe many years ago with and without my family on several occasions. My dad grew up in Denmark and he took us back several times while we were growing up and I had the pleasure of going on a several week multi country trip in high school as well, including a few days traveling on my own in Spain while waiting for the school group to arrive after my family left. I realize Africa is nothing like European cultures either, but adjusting to differences is a part of foreign travel. I have to say I was just a little bit amused last year when we were in Quebec and my husband couldn't figure out why the road signs weren't in English as well as French... We worked it out though and didn't get lost once!

Thanks again for your thoughts... Appreciated!

 

[tcufrog]

Perhaps you should try a trip to Europe first and see how it goes in a country with him where you don't speak the language and where everything isn't always as handicapped accessible as the US is. Have you looked for a travel agency or an accessible safari company? Just a quick Google search turned up Access 2 Africa safaris and there may be more. There's nothing like ADA where you're going to so travelling with a specialist would probably be less stressful.

 

[AquamarineSteph]

I haven't done the ABD trip to Africa, so I second/third those who have said to discuss this with an ABD representative by phone. Having said that, it sounds as if your son has made SO MUCH progress over the years. I can't even begin to imagine the toll this has taken on your entire family. I applaud your efforts to try and make this dream come true for him.

Walking wise, I can't remember any Disney trip that required you to walk a mile or more without a break. So he might be okay in that respect, but you'd definitely need to check with the customs regulations about transporting parenteral nutrition supplies, oxygen, etc. as well as checking with ABD.

No matter what happens, I hope your son is able to make this trip. You and your family are truly an inspiration!

 

[cdhheidi]

We have a travel agent that books 95% of her bookings as special needs bookings, but has as yet not done ABD (she IS however very Disney aware as the majority of her bookings are Disney related). She is working on finding out more information for us as well with ABD and other agencies.

I have looked at other tour agencies, my concern is that some appear to stay at locations that are not as 'nice' as in electrically friendly, or are more disabled accessible than he needs to where he would feel held back. one of the things we really try to push on is moving forward on his abilities... not holding him back. Know what I mean? We homeschooled him (and his brothers) and were told that is one of the big reasons he has been able to do as well as he has (he is on the autistic spectrum and developmentally delayed) but if you were to talk with him in many ways you would not know it. He speaks "animal" like a college student, reads college level animal books and even knows many of the animals by their latin names. Hoping to find a volunteer position at our local aquarium or zoo in the next year or two...

While I wouldn't mind Europe at all, my son has very little interest. As he is animal crazy, he would lean towards... The Amazon, the Galápagos Islands, Antarctica... Madagascar, but Africa tops the list. Alaska is a compromise as it is between our 35th anniversary and his 21st birthday, it has been MY dream for years, and we promised excursions to see lots of animals... Grizzly bears and salmon fishing, here we come!

 

[Pamlur]

My husband and I went to S. Africa twice, and stayed at different game lodges. Most animals hunt at night, and of course, the hyenas are there to take the kill away for themselves. We did see hyenas but were out well after dark that night.