{"id":460040,"date":"2022-06-09T15:40:22","date_gmt":"2022-06-09T12:40:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/family-stranded-in-aruba-after-autistic-teens-plane-outburst\/"},"modified":"2022-06-09T15:40:22","modified_gmt":"2022-06-09T12:40:22","slug":"family-stranded-in-aruba-after-autistic-teens-plane-outburst","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/family-stranded-in-aruba-after-autistic-teens-plane-outburst\/","title":{"rendered":"#Family stranded in Aruba after autistic teen&#8217;s plane outburst"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3dcb56dca5c\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3dcb56dca5c\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/family-stranded-in-aruba-after-autistic-teens-plane-outburst\/#%E2%80%9CFamily_stranded_in_Aruba_after_autistic_teens_plane_outburst%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;Family stranded in Aruba after autistic teen&#8217;s plane outburst&#8221;<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CFamily_stranded_in_Aruba_after_autistic_teens_plane_outburst%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;Family stranded in Aruba after autistic teen&#8217;s plane outburst&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>A New Jersey family\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">trip<\/a> to Aruba turned into a nightmare when their autistic son\u2019s outburst got them kicked off the plane and left them stranded on the island for a month, according to reports.<\/p>\n<p>Jamie Greene, her boyfriend Carlos Pacheco and their three children enjoyed a weeklong stay on the island last month, but things took a bad turn when they boarded a United Airlines flight back to Newark on May 17, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nj.com\/news\/2022\/06\/stranded-nj-family-finally-reunited-after-son-with-autism-was-kicked-off-vacation-flight.html\">NJ.com reported<\/a>. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Elijah Kapatos, 15, who has what Greene describes as \u201clow-functioning, non-verbal autism,\u201d began to scream \u201ctoilet\u201d \u2013 his way of communicating that something is wrong, according to the outlet.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI gave him gentle nudge and we made it to our seats, then he lost control. He refused to sit, and Jamie and I had to hold him down,\u201d Pacheco told NJ.com.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSomething caused him to be overwhelmed, and he began to hit (Greene) and me and continued screaming,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>Amid his sensory episode, Elijah refused to take his seat for takeoff, leading the captain to ask the family to deplane, the Asbury Park Press reported.<\/p>\n<p>The couple gave the boy some fast-acting medication that had been prescribed for such incidents, but his behavior continued and they became stranded in Aruba \u2013 some 2,000 miles from their Toms River home.<\/p>\n<p>The desperate parents tried a medical evacuation company and a cruise line without luck, NJ.com reported.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1021\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/elijah-kapatos-277750243_10225280655337240_5037477409751203641_n.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Elijah Kapatos.\" class=\"wp-image-22590106\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/elijah-kapatos-277750243_10225280655337240_5037477409751203641_n.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/elijah-kapatos-277750243_10225280655337240_5037477409751203641_n.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/elijah-kapatos-277750243_10225280655337240_5037477409751203641_n.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Elijah Kapatos began to scream \u201ctoilet,\u201d his way of communicating that something is wrong.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\"><a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Facebook<\/a>\/Jamie Greene<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cEven the U.S. Consulate in Aruba ran out of ideas, and I had to get our two other children back to school at Toms River, so Brandon, Brice and I flew back,\u201d Pacheco told the outlet.<\/p>\n<p>On May 22, their fortunes changed as Carnival Cruise Line came to the rescue \u2013 thanks to the efforts of Julian Maha, who noticed Greene\u2019s plea for help on Facebook.<\/p>\n<p>The Birmingham, Alabama, resident reached out to his pal Vicky Rey, Carnival\u2019s VP of guest care and communications, who arranged for one of the ships to stop in Aruba to pick up the two and drop them off in Miami.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"668\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/elijah-kapatos-284685333_10225633495118014_2939555331190790689_n.jpg?w=668\" alt=\"Elijah Kapatos.\" class=\"wp-image-22590127\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/elijah-kapatos-284685333_10225633495118014_2939555331190790689_n.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1336 1336w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/elijah-kapatos-284685333_10225633495118014_2939555331190790689_n.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1002 1002w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/elijah-kapatos-284685333_10225633495118014_2939555331190790689_n.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=668 668w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/elijah-kapatos-284685333_10225633495118014_2939555331190790689_n.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=334 334w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/elijah-kapatos-284685333_10225633495118014_2939555331190790689_n.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 668px) 100vw, 668px\"\/><figcaption>Elijah Kapatos refused to take his seat for takeoff and began to hit Jamie Greene and Carlos Pacheco.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Facebook\/Jamie Greene<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Maha, who founded KultureCity, a nonprofit that promotes sensory inclusion and acceptance, also asked two of its volunteers to drive from Atlanta to pick up Greene and Elijah and take them all the way home.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGiven Carnival\u2019s close partnership with KultureCity, our team has a deep understanding of the needs of individuals with sensory and invisible disabilities,\u201d Rey told NJ.com.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen the organization contacted us about Elijah\u2019s situation and we realized we could bring him back to the United States on one of our ships, we did not hesitate to offer help,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/jamie-greene-278844010_10225367009136031_581258307253306392_n.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Jamie Greene.\" class=\"wp-image-22590021\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/jamie-greene-278844010_10225367009136031_581258307253306392_n.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/jamie-greene-278844010_10225367009136031_581258307253306392_n.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/jamie-greene-278844010_10225367009136031_581258307253306392_n.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Carnival Cruise Line came to the rescue helped Jamie Greene and her family get home after they were booted from their flight in Aruba.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Facebook\/Jamie Greene<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Another person who took up the cause was Marybeth Emerich, who reads the popular Facebook site \u201cAutism With a Side of Fries,\u201d <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.app.com\/story\/news\/local\/emergencies\/2022\/05\/27\/toms-river-nj-family-coming-home-aruba-autism\/9933862002\/\">according to the Asbury Park Press<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Emerich also reached out to a contact at KultureCity, which reportedly includes several celebrities on its board, including \u201cJersey Shore\u201d star Jenni Farley, aka \u201cJWoww.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe troubles that (Greene) and Elijah endured were truly heart-breaking,\u201d Farley told NJ.com in a statement. \u201cA few years back, my son Greyson became overstimulated at an airport and had a sensory overload experience. After I heard about (Greene) and her son, I reached out to her while she was stuck in Aruba. The situation is unfortunately all too common.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The family was finally reunited on Monday.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think they\u2019re home!\u201d Pacheco exclaimed to NJ.com before he rushed outside to greet his wife and son, who ran inside to grab his iPad.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI cannot believe we\u2019re finally home. At one point, I thought we would be stuck on Aruba forever,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>A relieved Greene called for a change in policies.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI understand that airlines must follow safety protocols, but something like this should have never h<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ened,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAirlines should treat invisible disabilities the same way they treat visible disabilities. Invisible disabilities include autism, PTSD, traumatic brain injury, anxiety, ADHD, strokes and other mental health challenges,\u201d Greene said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe never thought this could happen to us. We now plan to be involved with KultureCity and the autism community. I\u2019m seeing the silver lining, just the chance that a policy might change as a result of our story is enough for me,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<p>The Post has reached out to United Airlines for comment.\n                        <\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2022\/06\/09\/family-stranded-in-aruba-after-autistic-teens-plane-outburst\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Family stranded in Aruba after autistic teen&#8217;s plane outburst&#8221; A New Jersey family\u2019s trip to Aruba turned into a nightmare when their autistic son\u2019s outburst got them kicked off the plane and left them stranded on the island for a month, according to reports. Jamie Greene, her boyfriend Carlos Pacheco and their three children enjoyed&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":460041,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/elijah-kapatos-jamie-greene-comp.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1024","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[130112,45636,76139,70997],"class_list":["post-460040","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-6-9-22","tag-caribbean","tag-disabilities","tag-united-airlines"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/460040","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=460040"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/460040\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/460041"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=460040"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=460040"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=460040"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}