Family stranded in Japan arrives home in Sydney
An Australian family who became stranded overseas after their autistic son developed a sudden and intense fear of flying has finally arrived back home in Sydney.
Brad and Mel James flew to Japan with their three children for the trip of a lifetime last month to celebrate their son Ryan’s 18th birthday at Tokyo Disneyland.
Brad and Melissa wanted to give their son Ryan an 18th birthday to remember. GoFundMe
Ryan, who has autism and a rare neurogenetic condition, was deemed unfit to fly after he was unable to board a domestic flight during the holiday.
Mel and Brad decided to send their other two children home to Australia.
They became stranded in a Tokyo hotel with their son Ryan for more than two weeks.
They were told that Ryan would need be sedated and taken on a medical flight to return home, with a doctor on standby.
Ryan was intubated at a hospital in Tokyo on Sunday and was flown back to Australia with his parents on a CareFlight plane.
The three flew from Tokyo to Sydney via Guam and Cairns.
The family touched down in Sydney on Tuesday morning and Ryan was taken to the intensive care unit at Westmead Hospital.
An online fundraiser was set up by organiser Janelle Goulding to help the family with specialist medical transport, accommodation and living expenses.
The fundraiser received $200,645 from more than 2,400 donors.
Brad and Mel told A Current Affair last week Ryan is “absolutely obsessed” with Mickey Mouse, and visiting the Disney theme park in Tokyo was meant to be the trip of a lifetime.
“We just wanted to give him something for his 18th birthday,” Mel told A Current Affair.
“Being a child with autism, we can’t buy him a car or give him an 18th party that we all had and enjoyed, so his love for Mickey was my determination to take him to Tokyo.”
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