SerpApi.Org
DANBURY — At just 8 years old, Eyden Pepinos has had “a long journey” in navigating life with a chronic heart condition, his family said.
“He’s been fighting with his chronic illness, and we’re just grateful to find such wonderful individuals to help us,” said Katherine Pepinos of Danbury, Eyden’s mother. “He’s a happy boy who enjoys sports and playing and just loves life.”
Katherine Pepinos said her youngest son has been living with pulmonary hypertension since he was 8 months old. Pulmonary hypertension is high blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries, which carry blood from the heart to the lungs, and typically is a complication of heart or lung disease, according to the Cleveland Clinic website.
Along with playing soccer, Eyden loves all animals, especially horses, and had dreamt of visiting Rocking Horse Ranch Resort. For Eyden, the New York-based family resort is “a place filled with the things I love – animals, water and my family.”
With help from Make-A-Wish Connecticut and Colonial Ford of Danbury, his dream trip became a reality last month.
Eyden and his family went to Rocking Horse Ranch Resort June 20 and returned home to Danbury June 26, Katherine Pepinos said. She said the experience of seeing her son live his dream was “something I cannot describe in words.”
“Seeing his eyes light up, we couldn’t believe something as wonderful as this had come true,” Katherine Pepinos said.
Nearly a month after their trip to the resort, Eyden and his family were treated to a welcome-home celebration Wednesday morning at Colonial Ford on Federal Road. Multiple police officers were gathered in a lineup at the car dealership’s entrance to welcome Eyden into the store, and the store’s General Manager Mark Paladino drove to Eyden’s home to escort his family in a special edition Ford Raptor truck.
Along with celebrating Make-A-Wish’s 40th anniversary in Connecticut, Kim Smith, senior director of corporate and community giving for Make-A-Wish, said granting Eyden’s wish marked the foundation’s first time partnering with Colonial Ford.
“Kim has reached out many times,” said Danielle Beylouni. “When she spoke about a Danbury boy who needed his wish granted, I called my brother, who owns Colonial Ford. ... Just seeing the face of that boy, he’s such a ray of sunshine with all he’s gone through.”
David Beylouni, owner and president of Colonial Ford, said his family business has given hundreds of thousands of dollars to local organizations, including Ability Beyond, Danbury Hospital and the Center for Empowerment and Education, as well as “countless grassroots charities we sponsor locally.”
He said he had recently attended a Make-A-Wish event in Boston featuring a wish granted in partnership with Subaru, and decided he wanted to be involved in a Make-A-Wish event locally.
“I think it’s my ultimate honor to be in the position and provide that kind of support to a child and family in need and make sure they see something they wouldn’t have without my help,” David Beylouni said.
From the moment Eyden and his family stepped out of the Ford Raptor, he was showered with applause from the crowd gathered at the front of the dealership’s entrance as well as the staff and Make-A-Wish officials waiting for him inside the shop. Several Colonial Ford staff members wearing blue cowboy hats greeted him with cheers, pom poms and ringing cowbells.
“This is all about making you be able to do something you really want to do,” David Beylouni said to Eyden. “We are so happy you had a great time. ... This is our honor, our joy, to be able to help your family.”
Standing beside Eyden, her husband, Louis, and her 9-year-old son, Abdiel, Katherine Pepinos thanked everyone for their support of her family. Though the journey in navigating Eyden’s condition “hasn’t been a wonderful path,” she said she and her family have “learned so much” from their son.
“He’s just taught us so much about how to live,” she said. “Every second, he’s teaching us how to live.”
As Eyden and Abdiel told their audience about their time at the resort, Katherine Pepinos said their trip was “truly a wonderful experience,” and beyond the “amazing memories we created,” they were grateful to have so many people help make Eyden’s wish come true.
As a token of gratitude, Eyden presented David Beylouni with a plaque commemorating his dealership’s partnership with Make-A-Wish. Representatives of Make-A-Wish and the Colonial Automobile Group also gifted Eyden with a variety of presents, including a brand-new soccer ball, a stuffed soccer figure, a gift certificate to Il Bacio and a T-shirt with the name of his favorite soccer player, Cristiano Ronaldo, printed on the back.
In addition to gifts and refreshments, the celebration featured an inflatable soccer goalie where Eyden and Abdiel got their kicks under the late morning sunshine.
