Andres Manuel Dones
Grade: 12
Age: 17
Belen Jesuit Preparatory School, Miami, FL
Archdiocese of Miami
“It is most likely that one of your sons will have the disease and one will not.” That’s what I overheard the hematologist tell my mother as my brother and I were having our blood drawn. I watched as a tear escaped from my mother’s eye, a moment of vulnerability that she typically does not show us. All my seven-year-old mind could think was, “This must be really bad.” My brother Alex and I had both been picked up from school early that day without warning. We were taken to a specialized lab at the University of Miami, and somehow I knew that the results of that test would change our lives forever. Who would have the disease? Was it me? Was it my brother?
A few weeks later, the results came in … it was my brother. My brother had hemophilia. I still remember the day he was diagnosed. I was relieved that it wasn’t me, but it would be my five-year-old little brother who would live a life complicated by needle sticks, infusions and fear of bleeding. The realization set in that Alex would never have a normal life.
As we grew up, I watched as Alex gradually became singled out and treated differently by his classmates due to medical complications that resulted in disabilities. I realized that people would often stare at him and make comments when he walked by. In response, my family rallied to ensure that Alex always felt included and that he was provided with all the support he needed to thrive.
In ninth grade, I realized that I had been given a gift. I was not the brother with a bleed in my brain. i was the brother with the ability to speak clearly. I felt the responsibility to be Alex’s voice. I decided that it was necessary to educate others about the daily struggles encountered by those living with disabilities. The idea of Project S.H.I.E.L.D. (Siblings Help Inform Everyone about Living with Disabilities) emerged.
I decided that I would deliver my message to the writing, filming and editing of a documentary called Project S.H.I.E.L.D. Project S.H.I.E.L.D. features four families with children and young adults with disabilities, and portrays their daily struggles from the perspective of their sibling. Next, I developed a program which included showing my film to students throughout Miami, followed by an interactive discussion of the topic. I was surprised when the film was received with enthusiasm and understanding. My film was recognized by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences with the Suncoast Student Production Award.
The motto we strive to live by at Belen Jesuit Preparatory School is “men for others.” It is this ideal that motivate me to find a way to help those around me. Through my involvement in Belen’s Peer Ministry class, I learned that a message can be delivered most effectively through one’s peers. This realization led me to convey the stories of the disabled individuals through the voices of their siblings. At Belen, I received enormous support for my project. I found a mentor at my school, Mr. Johnny Calderin, who selflessly gave his free time to teach me the art of film-making. It was at Belen that my film was premiered at the beautiful Roca Theater, thanks to the support of my school. Once I voiced my desire to screen my film throughout the community, Belen’s director of communications, Mrs. Teresa Martinez, immediately began to reach out to local schools and organizations. I felt the strong support of my Catholic community throughout the entire process.
I have taken several steps to ensure that my project will continue to have an impact in the future. In addition to having more presentations scheduled throughout the coming year, I have launched a social media campaign by releasing the documentary on YouTube. I am in the process of having the film approved by the Miami-Dade County School Board to be shown as part of the county’s public school curriculum. Most importantly, I intend to create a follow-up film that will explore the lives of the children and families seen in the film as they graduate high school and enter the next stages of their lives. The film will explore how those with disabilities are transitioned from the school setting to adult members of society who participate in the work force. The film will ask what role siblings can play in guiding them through this challenging time in their lives.
Without a doubt, it was my brother who inspired me to take on the role of advocate for the disabled and their families. I often think back to that moment, when as a child I had my blood drawn, not knowing the way it would help define the direction my life would take.
NCEA is proud to continue the NCEA Youth Virtues, Valor and Vision Award Program that will formally recognize extraordinary young people in our Catholic schools who through their selfless service, innovation and commitment to social justice are changing the world.
Every NCEA member Catholic school, both elementary and secondary, is eligible to nominate one student, who through personal witness and initiative, in service learning programs or community outreach, has become a hero to those who have been touched and nourished by his or her work or initiative.
The NCEA Youth Virtues, Valor and Vision Award program is made possible, in part, through the generosity and support of Cross Catholic Outreach, a Catholic ministry who believes in and celebrates the young people in our Catholic schools who are making a profound difference even at a young age to a myriad of underserved constituencies. For more information about Cross Catholic Outreach please go to www.crosscatholic.org.
