Scuba diving dream for MD patient on a ventilator

[Matt the Aquaman]

Hello everyone :scubadive

I just wanted to share the latest news regarding my
quest to join you all in the water someday.

Regards to all and Thanks for your friendships

-Matt-

(A recent correspondence from Michael R. Lombardi)

Hello Matt!

How's it going? Haven't forgotten about you..just taking
me a bit to get caught up since my trip to the Bahamas.
All of your recent contactssound great. Phil Nuyten from
Nuytco research I hear is a great guy..and a great engineer,
so he may have some insight. I look forward to seeing
your Dive Chronicles article. I had one in there about
Antarctica in the May/June issue...did you see it? Brad Nolan,
their publisher is a really great guy. I think that magazine is
going places.

Anyway, you're getting a lot of attention with your
project now...this is great!!! Have you thought much about
taking it to the next level and really pulling it all together,
much like a business? Things like 'project management', finding
formal commitments from engineers, coordinating a
fundraising/sponsorship pursuit? I believe this is going
to happen for you, and will do all I can to help. I think it
may be time to really structure this, identify some tangible
milestones, and get crackin'!

Can you send me your address? I will mail some dive
books, and the package I've been working on for you..

Hope all is well
Mike

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

 

[crpntr133]

sounds like things are starting to fall into place.

 

[Matt the Aquaman]

Hi everybody. I was wondering if anyone had some advice for me on how to take my dream to the next level and really pull it all together, like Mike Lombardi said, much like a business? Things like 'project management', finding formal commitments from engineers, coordinating a fundraising/sponsorship pursuit? I would sure appreciate ANY advice you could give! Take care all and safe diving!
-Matt-

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

 

[Quarrior]

Hi everybody. I was wondering if anyone had some advice for me on how to take my dream to the next level and really pull it all together, like Mike Lombardi said, much like a business? Things like 'project management', finding formal commitments from engineers, coordinating a fundraising/sponsorship pursuit? I would sure appreciate ANY advice you could give! Take care all and safe diving!
-Matt-

Hi Matt,

I just had an idea pop into my head about how you possibly dive and was wondering something. I know you are on a ventilator. There are to my knowledge two types. One is a "demand type" which responds to either an inhale on your part or a swallow action which starts it. The other is one in which it does all the breather actions for you and is based on time and volume, etc.

Which of these are you on?

My idea is rather simplistic and I'm sure someone will have to fine tune it, but, here goes.

If you use a demand type ventilator, that is the same thing as a scuba regulator. A seal similar to a dry suit seal could be put around your neck with a hole in for the hose coming from the regulator on the tank. Now your whole neck is dry, including the area for the ventilator entry.

If you use the other type of ventilator, you could do the same thing, but would be connected to either a snorkel/hose from the surface or possibly someone could make a case for a tank fed portable system.

Just some thoughts that popped into my head today.

Brian

 

[The Great Orca]

Maybe we could pitch in some money for Matt. I will be getting a part time job after school so I should make a few hundred dollars a month. I could pitch in $50-$100 to make your dream happen.

 

[ScubaFreak]

Hey Matt,

I only found this thread today and boy how impressive and inspiring are you eh?!?!
Even though I cant technically advise or help out, I would like to offer (as I'm sure 100's of people already have) to be a support diver for your dive when it happens
Yeah sure I live in Ireland, but I cant think of a better reason to take a trip and dive with someone who belongs in the water more then all the fish in the seas!

Best of luck buddy, I'm wishing the luck of the Irish on your side

 

[Matt the Aquaman]

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to let you all know that the BIG paper "St. Paul, MN" is coming out to interview me, so they can publish my story and my dream. Navyseal.com is also going to be doing an article on me.

I will keep you all posted with any new info that I recieve.

Thanks for all your support.

Safe Diving,

Matt

 

[The Great Orca]

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to let you all know that the BIG paper "St. Paul, MN" is coming out to interview me, so they can publish my story and my dream. Navyseal.com is also going to be doing an article on me.

I will keep you all posted with any new info that I recieve.

Thanks for all your support.

Safe Diving,

Matt

Assome Matt, goooooooooooooooooood luck!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Matt the Aquaman]

Hey everyone, just thought I would share the latest article on me that was done by the Navy Seals. Hope you enjoy it.

Safe Diving
Matt

BlackNET: One man’s dream: Scuba dive despite medical limitations :bigun2:

Written by NavySEALs.com/BlackNET News

Thursday November 4, 2004

By Steve Hammons
Deputy editor, NavySEALs.com / BlackNET Global News Service
04 November 2004

A 27-year-old Minnesota man with muscular dystrophy is reaching out to the U.S. Navy and Navy SEAL communities for support in achieving his life-long dream of scuba diving.

Matt Johnston has also contacted and received help from engineering professors, physicians, scuba organizations, researchers and others in his quest to dive. He’s determined to connect with others who have the knowledge to help him.

Knowing that outfits like NASA and the SEALs are on the cutting edge of these kinds of technologies, Johnston is reaching out in their direction to recruit the expertise and support he will need to accomplish his mission. “My dream is to go scuba diving. I am trying to reach out to more people to help me get my dream accomplished! I am willing to do anything to make my dream to go scuba diving happen.” Matt says.

Matt says he has dreamed about scuba diving since he was six years old. However, his medical condition has proved limiting to accomplishing some of his physical goals. His drive, ambition and dreams have continued to thrive despite these limitations.

Confined to certain necessary but restrictive medical equipment, Johnston doesn’t want to go on a SEAL combat mission, he just wants to go to relatively shallow depths for a limited amount of time.

Due to his medical condition, Matt has come close to death several times, and he’s unsure how much time he may have to achieve his objective. “Doctors said I have nine lives for as many times that I have come close to dying,” Matt explains. “But I am still kicking! I don't know how much longer I have to live, could be a day, could be a year, could be more. Sometimes doctors don't know the answer either.”

He has done extensive research on technologies and diving equipment available that could be applied to his situation. Johnston’s physician is a diver and reportedly believes this dream is technically and medically possible.

“Most people think that this is possible,” Matt says. “The challenge is finding a way to make it work with the ventilator I am thinking about using under water. I would like to use a HT50 ventilator from Newport NMI. It's small, compact and weighs less than my current vent. It has been used in hyperbaric chambers down to 2.1 atmospheres, which is 33 feet.”

Several organizations that help handicapped people dive have come to Matt’s attention and he has made many contacts to understand what kind of equipment and techniques are used. Certain types diving gear and medical equipment, such as a more portable ventilator, might be combined to make his dream a reality.

Matt’s has done his research. “I would put the vent inside a backpack, strap it to me keeping the vent inside my dry suit, have an exhalation valve (one way) to let out the CO2 into the water and a line feeding into the dry suit. I think my air supply could either be above water, or I could have one of my diving buddies carry the air tank underwater.”

“I have made lots of important friends in the diving world, especially with Diving Unlimited International in San Diego. Susan Long is the president of that company and we are in touch daily. Her whole company has been incredibly supportive of my dream and plan to help when it is time,” Matt states.

Johnston has created a Web site to help generate understanding and support for his dream. On the site, he describes his love for the ocean and the idea of being underwater. He includes photos of himself, friends and the sea. Visit his site at http://www.scubadivingdream.com/


Steve Hammons has worked as a journalist, editor, counselor, teacher-trainer, public safety urgent response specialist and federal government researcher. He is author of two novels, MISSION INTO LIGHT and the sequel LIGHT’S HAND, available from the NavySEALs.com SOCOM Store. Visit his home page at: www.navyseals.com/community/members/ohio52

 

[Desa]

We're with you dude!!!!

You can/will make it happen.