Thank You for Your interest in my story.
I have lived for over twenty years in Hawai'i. Seven years on Maui and thirteen years on the Big Island. In 2009 I was diagnosed with "Autism Spectrum Disorder" (Asperger's).
In May of 2015, my life partner of five years died from a respiratory failure she experienced in December of 2014. As someone who had life threatening asthma at an early age, I was equally affected in 2018, when the Leilani Estate eruption began.
Our house in Leilani Estates could not be sealed off against the outside air.
Leilani Estates Eruption 2018 - Image: Hawai'i Volcano Observatory
My parents in Bavaria were extremely worried and convinced me to visit them, as I had not seen them in years. Following their wishes, my Felines and I arrived in Bavaria at the end of February 2018. After over 20 years Hawai'i, I was incompatible with the German way of living. When I told an acquaintence of mine in Uruguay about this situation, she invited me to stay at her farm in the guest house, for three month.
A few weeks after our arrival in May of 2018, my acquaintence had an accident while working with her horse. She was admitted to a hospital in the capital. Her husband wanted me to leave the guest house - asap. An immediate return to Bavaria was not possible. One of my Felines did not have a titer test for rabies.
Peteyboy without titer test.
It would take three month for the titer test from the University of Kansas to return to be able to return to Hawai'i. Things dragged on, as it was very difficult to find a veterinary in San Carlos that was able to perform the required blood draw. I fell into a deep depression. In January of 2019, I was hit by lightning while watering the plants of a neighbor I had helped with his newfound nursery. In June 2019, my beloved Feline Honeyboy died from hypothermia.
Honeyboy 2018
The small farmhouse I had to rent in order to wait out the time it would take to get ready to leave, had no proper heating. It was very cold and I got very sick with pneumonia. Finally, the titer test for Peteyboy was cleared and we were ready to leave. My father had bought me a ticket to return to Bavaria once more. He had fallen recently and needed help. My mother's dementia was progressing and her wish was for me to return. In August of 2020, I was denied boarding at Carrasco airport. There was an error in the health certificates for my Felines. Madrid had changed the time for connections due to the ensuing pandemic and I was unable to travel as booked.
In the aftermath of this nightmare, Peteyboy died of hypothermia, because we had to wait for three hours in the cold at the airport. When I called my parents to tell them what had happened, they were devastated. Then, the pandemic went full throttle in Germany and the U.S. - it was no longer possible to return to Germany, since Uruguay was on a "red alert" list, making entry coming from Uruguay impossible for me. The same was true for the States, as mandatory vaccination was now required. Due to health issues I can not get vaccinated.
In April of 2021, my father died a few weeks after having received the Moderna vaccine. He was heartbroken - with no hope for my return. My mother's dementia had severly progressed after the fact that I was unable to see her again. Three month after my father's death, she was admitted into a care facility for people with dementia.
My parents in 2018
Since my failed attempt to leave Uruguay, and without any support - as I had used up all of my funds - times turned from bad to worse. During this time I became homeless. A former neighbor had invited me to stay with him, but unfortunately, he was addicted. When I was offered to work for a recently started venture to create so called "River Tables", I agreed without hesitation, since I had forty years of experiences with resins and epoxy.
One of my creations - a River Table, 13 feet long and 4 feet wide
In another unfortunate turn of events, I found out that the owners of the venture were also addicted and I was neither paid fully the agreed upon salary, nor did I receive payments regularily. Despite working, I was starving and was unable to heat the small house we were living in. My last Hawai'ian Feline that had been with me 24/7 for 14 years, died after an attack by the neighbor's dog in January of 2022.
YinYang in 2018
Things deteriorated at the table shop and I became homeless another time. Since this time and until October 9th I stayed in a small room at my neighbors. It was a trade situation. The neighbors needed this room to be cleaned from fire damage, the damaged roof repaired, windows sealed and everything painted. I am no longer there with my two Uruguayan Felines that I had been given by a former friend. The two Boys are now with a former co-worker and I long for them to join me soon.
Felix (back) and Oscar now at a friend's place in San Carlos.
When the vaccination mandate was rescinded for the States, I wanted to immediately return to Florida, where one of my step children lives. She gave birth to another child August 27th and I wanted to be there for the occasion, but found out, that in all the insanity and distress, my German passport had expired. I found out that a valid passport is required. After several weeks, I received a new passport and was now able to return to the States. However, this is where this fundraiser becomes important. For ove three months, I have survived by doing odd jobs. The room we stayed in was a trade situation. I did everything required since I had no other choice. But in the meantime, the family liked to get the room back, to house other family members in it. Since I would like to return to the States and ultimately to Hawai'i, this was no problem, but got rough at the end.
A friend of mine on the Big Island helped me with the airfare to Miami. From there I would like to visit my step daughter and her Baby-Boy. Since it will take three month for Felix and Oscar to be able to travel with me to Hawai'i, I am asking for help to get Felix and Oscar to Florida. It will be necessary to secure housing. It is my understanding now, that my Asperger's was at the core of the many difficulties that I had encountered throughout my life and especially during the last years, when I wanted to return home. Now I know, that it is much better to accept my condition as is and make the best of what I got.
I dedicate myself to help those who also suffer from ASD - to accept themselves as they are and navigate through a world that still is not fully accepting the consequences that come with this diagnosis.
I will keep You updated about how things are coming along. As a token for my gratitude for Your help - that is appreciated no matter how big or small it will be - I like to offer You images I have been taking as a professional photographer over the years in Hawai'i. You just email me and tell me what images You like and I will send You one. There are thousands of them - including images of Felines.
Thank You very much for reading my story. All the best to You.
Aloha pumehana,
Wolfgang Exel Watson, Felix and Oscar
Technical difficulties keep rising. Some features of this website are no longer working for my eight year old iPad. So, I circumvent these hurdles by using what still works.
