July 2023
by Nadia Sais
Nadia’s connection to Hawaii started more than a decade ago. It’s where she met her husband. It’s where her first child was born. And visiting was on the top of her list when her family reached out to Team Gleason Adventures near the end of 2022.
“Prior to being sick,” wrote Nadia in her application, “hiking, exploring, caves, waterfalls, the outdoors in general was my life. It’s what we did every weekend. I’ve been sick now for three to maybe five years and our adventures have been dwindling. I just want more adventure with my family.”
It may have taken a while, but Team Gleason was able to send Nadia, her husband, and two children to Honolulu.
Nadia served in the U.S. Navy until she was medically retired after her ALS diagnosis. Her husband, who is still serving in the military, and his father, reached out to Team Gleason to help Nadia get back to Hawaii.
To make it even more of an adventure, we were able to send them to the Kualoa Ranch Oahu where Jurassic World was filmed. They piled into ATVs to explore with a private guide.
“The ranch where we had the tour was fully handicapped accessible and we had an absolute blast,” said Nadia. “The tour guides were by far the sweetest people I’ve ever met and really good at their jobs.”
It may have taken a while, but Team Gleason was able to send Nadia, her husband, and two children to Honolulu. Nadia served in the U.S. Navy until she was medically retired after her ALS diagnosis. Her husband, who is still serving in the military, and his father, reached out to Team Gleason to help Nadia get back to Hawaii.
To make it even more of an adventure, we were able to send them to the Kualoa Ranch Oahu where Jurassic World was filmed. They piled into ATVs to explore with a private guide.
“The ranch where we had the tour was fully handicapped accessible and we had an absolute blast,” said Nadia. “The tour guides were by far the sweetest people I’ve ever met and really good at their jobs.”
Traveling with ALS can have its challenges. Nadia explained:
“I learned the hard way in Waikiki that getting in the water was easy but getting out was almost impossible, getting out took me about 20-30 minutes and a lot of assistance from my husband and children, lol. If we went to Waikiki, I would rent a chair and umbrella either for an hour or for the day since I cannot sit in the sand without having difficulty getting up. I avoided getting in any and all beaches that had waves because every beach we went to was not handicap accessible nor did they have beach wheelchairs available. The only place we went to that had beach wheelchairs available was Hanauma Bay. We got there first thing in the morning. However, they only have three beach wheelchairs available and they were already rented out.” Even facing those challenges, when asked what her favorite part of her adventure was, Nadia said it was “Seeing my kids enjoy every second of our trip. Beach hopping and watching the kids enjoy every wave.”
Nadia and her family stayed at Hilton Garden Inn Waikiki Beach. While the view was gorgeous from their room, they did face some challenges.
“The hotel was really beautiful, however the room wasn’t as accessible as it should have been. The room was extremely tiny and if I was fully wheelchair bound it would have been extremely difficult to maneuver around the room. The shower was a large walk-in. However, if you stood in the shower it was extremely slippery. The view from my room was beautiful. We were about two blocks from the beach so the view we had was gorgeous. The hotel itself was handicap accessible on the backside. The front of the hotel only had stairs but inside the store that was connected to the hotel on the other side there were stairs and an elevator lift. There is also a pool at the hotel. Stairs are the only way you can get in the pool but it is a nice pool with a cute waterfall which the kids loved. There is also a bar there and a pool table and lots of lounge chairs.”
Nadia’s Travel Advice:
“We would recommend getting a beachfront hotel because they have access to free lounge chairs and it’s just easier if they’re wheelchair bound. We would also just want them to know that a lot of beaches don’t have beach wheelchairs available so getting in the water to be able to swim in certain locations most likely won’t happen.”
Adventure Details:
FLIGHT: Alaska Air, Minneapolis to Seattle, Seattle to Honolulu
LODGING: Hilton Garden Inn Waikiki Beach
RIDE ALONG ATV RAPTOR TOUR: Kualoa Ranch
