Desperate For SSDI advice!!!!

I'm totally new to the SSDI process other than what I've learned over the last two weeks. My girlfriends nephew, age 38, was operated for a brain tumor over two years ago. It was found to be cancerous and they couldn't get all of it and he was treated with radiation and chemo. Seizures started almost immediately after the operation and were bad until a second surgery was done in February, Since then, they have stopped. Unfortunately he has Grade 3 malignant neoplasm of the brain with a median survival rate of 34 months. When that clock began I'm not sure.

The problem is that he has both long and short term memory issues, has almost lost all mobility on the right side of his body and has just had his SSDI case dismissed by the because he missed the ODAR judge because he didn't file his appeal of their denial within 65 days of the denial date of July 7, 2017.

I have no idea what happened a year ago or why he waited until Nov 3 to request a hearing, but now 8 months later he received a letter dismissing his case. He's unable to explain anything about the whats and whys and the only indication I have is in the judges letter that states, "the claimant stated that he missed the deadline to request a hearing because his lawyer told him he was not qualified". As far as I know, he's never had a lawyer.

I have no idea where he goes from here. He has a wife who came to this country at the age of 12 from Thailand, I believe, and was put into the Philadelphia school system. She has just a rudimentary knowledge of the English language and can't comprehend any of this stuff. They also have 3 children aged 3-10. He hasn't worked in two years and the future is bleak.

Where does he go from here. Hopefully someone can head me in the right direction.