Scuba diving dream for MD patient on a ventilator

[Matt the Aquaman]

I just wanted to share my new and improved web site with everyone!
http://www.scubadivingdream.com/
I hope everyone is doing well. Safe diving from Matt.

Click here to greet a new member! :happywave
No experience needed and it feels great!​

 

[crpntr133]

Nice look Matt. Keep up the good work.

 

[boomx5]

I just wanted to share my new and improved web site with everyone!
http://www.scubadivingdream.com/
I hope everyone is doing well. Safe diving from Matt.

Very nice work Matt. I really hope you get to experience something the rest of us scubadivers can sometimes take for granted. Please keep us updated as to your progress.

 

[DandyDon]

Nice work, Dude! The Blue on Blue is still a challenge, but for you - I can focus.

And that's what Sunan looks like, eh? :gr1:

 

[cozudiver]

Matt,

I first saw your post on www.scubadiving.com. And actually, I had forgotten about it.
Then I came across your post here and was very happy to see that you are getting people who are wanting to help you with your dream.
Last Christmas a group of divers put together a dive DVD and one of them was of handicapped divers with a group named "Eels on Wheels".
I decided to send an email to help you get in contact with this group, and I received the following:

I checked out the website and it is really cool! I took the liberty of forwarding your e-mail to one of our medical doctors, Dr. Chad Dieterichs. If anyone can make this happen, Chad can. The ventilator will make it tough, so I don't know. That's why I'm referring this to Chad. He's certified quite a number of people with various
types of disabilities.

I'd love to meet Matt. He sounds like an incredible
person!!!!!!!

Jill

So hopefully you'll be receiving something from either Jill or Dr Dieterichs.

As all the others have said - Hope that your dream comes true. And be sure to let us know when this is going to happen. I'd love to go on the dive with you if schedules permit. People like you, remind me what life is all about. :dazzler1:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths that we take, but by the moments that take our breath away!

 

[Matt the Aquaman]

:happywave Hi to all my diving friends. I hope you're having a great day. I just wanted to share how I feel about all of you. I have a lot of respect for each of you. In fact, my friend took my picture to her last dive club meeting to tell everyone what I told her. “Divers are the luckiest people in the world.” The reason I think that is because of the following.

As divers, you get to go places and do things that most people only dream about. And, for the divers who enjoy local diving, you get to do it all the time. Cruising around in a 3D environment has to be the closest thing to flying that a body will ever experience. It must be amazing. Divers get to hover, virtually weightless, and be part of the water. It’s also an opportunity to see all the beautiful wildlife & other wondrous things up close. Another thing divers have are good friends. Divers make the best friends in the world. You have a common bond, a respect for the environment and all living things. And you're not just vocal about it, you do things to support that view.

All the divers have supported me and made feel welcome. When I have a bad day, you all make me feel wonderful. You have made feel as if I am a part of the diving world, without having dived yet. You have given me inspiration to make my scuba diving dream come true. I feel it is my destiny. I dream of it every night. I feel as if the water is calling me to it. All of you divers rock! You're my kind of people. I look forward to meeting more of you on scubaboard. I love being part of the community.This is an awesome place! Have a great day friends. Safe diving to all. From your diving friend Matt

Click here to greet a new member! :happywave
No experience needed and it feels great!​

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

I feel as if the water is calling me to it.

Wow Matt, you are the only other person I know of who has experienced "the calling." Now that I am a diver, I don't have those feelings, however now, diving is like visiting an old friend.

The 3D part is very cool. I love play underwater. I spread my arms out and fly! It is soo cool! I hope someday your dream does come true. I think it will.

 

[divemed06]

Hello Matt,

I can't give you much technical info, but here are some ideas that may help.

1. You'll need money to get this done and exposure...go to the media (regional, state, NATIONAL---TV, Radio, Papers....OPRAH!

2. Until this happens (and IT WILL HAPPEN) have you thought of seeing the underwater world in another way http://www.atlantisadventures.com/adventures.php?cat=0&site=5 ..... by submarine!


3. Get into contact with Divers Alert Network www.diversalertnetwork.com and the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society http://www.uhms.org/ . They should have the expetise to help you in this endevour.

4. I'll be a support a diver if you need one (and if I can take time off!)

Bring exposure to this dream....it will make it easier to accomplish!!!

Good luck!

 

[Crowell]

Would modifying a newt suit - either for basically the same controls as your wheelchair, or via remote control, be an option at all?

I'm no doctor or engineer, just an humble computer programmer, but the only drawback I can think of would be it's a step up from a dry-suit and a tad more difficult to get in and out of for you.

Plus, wouldn't it have enough room inside for the back-mounted ventilation system?

Is a newt-suit considered "scuba" diving though in a classical sense? You could probably wrangle one on loan from somewhere I'd imagine, but I have no idea what would be involved to rework the controls for either remote or to accomodate you.

EDIT: I was just thinking that a newt-suit too, by it's very nature would solve the pressure issue at depth too as far as the ventilator supplying the appropriate amount of air, or even issues with a drysuit and pressure at depth.

 

[DandyDon]

Hey Matt!

I'm glad you asked me to talk to NASA at DEMA this morning, as I wouldn't have thought of it.

The NASA fellow told me we need to look up NASA, Office of Technology Transfer, Johnson Space Center, as it is there job to forward new information learned from the sapce program to the rest of the word.

This would be good for you and them. If they help you, and they share in publicity, then they can better justrify the cost of the space program.

Be researching this, will ya', and I'll get back after DEMA! :dazzler1: