Grace Dean (left) helps explain through sign language to her son Jonathan (middle), he and the family are going on a week-long trip to Mexico next month. The trip is sponsored by the Help Fill a Dream Foundation. (Image Credit: Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Alex Rawnsley

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‘This is broadening his world:’ Nanaimo teen fulfilling life dream in Mexico

Feb 27, 2026 | 12:09 PM

NANAIMO — A local teenager will spend spring break in Mexico floating down lazy rivers and relaxing on warm, tropical beaches.

Jonathan Dean, 18, lives with CHARGE syndrome, a rare genetic condition which greatly affects his sensory inputs, leaving him visually impaired and profoundly deaf in both ears.

But he was all smiles on Friday, Feb. 27 when he learned from his mother, Grace, they’d be spending a week in Mexico in mid-March, courtesy a generous contribution from the Island-based Help Fill a Dream Foundation.

“He really enjoys feeling warm water, sunshine,” Grace said. “He’s all about sensory and experiences and that’s how he learned. Going to a place like this is broadening his world and he really, really enjoys it.”

The family, along with a nurse, will spend a week at a Cancun resort.

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A grade 12 student at Nanaimo District Secondary School, Jonathan was surrounded by loved ones at the announcement, hosted by Nanaimo’s Bowen Rd. Country Grocer location on Friday.

Grace mentioned it’s truly a village which has helped her son grow and thrive, despite his conditions.

“We have former nurses that used to work with him, a couple that were with him for 13 years,” Grace said. His teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing, both of his EA’s from school, a former EA from a long time ago. We have his OT, current nurses…we’ve got a big community and a lot of them have been with him for many years.”

Help Fill a Dream executive director Craig Smith (left) presents Jonathan with a custom sign for him to keep, announcing his Mexico vacation coming in March. (Image Credit: Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Making the announcement was Craig Smith, the Foundation’s executive director.

He told NanaimoNewsNOW over the last 40 years on Vancouver Island, they’ve been able to fill nearly 4,000 dreams and helped countless more families through their assistance program.

“Whatever that family needs for support to make life a little easier, we try to remove financial stressers and other burdens and allow everyone to focus on the child getting better.”

Connections between families and the Foundation come through a variety of sources, including medical professionals, family and friends.

Smith said Jonathan’s conditions presented a unique challenge in organizing a trip everyone would enjoy.

“It takes a little bit more, but we have a great program manager who works with travel agents who have been working with us for well over 20 years, who truly understand that each of our families are unique in what they need and they make sure everything’s been put in place in the background so Jonathan, his nurse and his mom can travel just like anyone else would.”

Smith touted the fundraising support the organization receives year round, including by Country Grocer who’ve supported the non-profit for the last 15 years.

A campaign run in-store between mid-November and mid-December last year raised $65,000, a record.

Smith said contributions like those mean they’ve never had to turn any qualified children and families away in their nearly 40-year history.

Jonathan smiles as family and friends celebrate his upcoming trip to Mexico. (Image Credit: Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

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