URGENT Update from ScubaMau

[RubberDucky]

Money sent. Really easy to do using the two email addresses and I urge you all to please send - every cent counts - Please also label it on the personal tab and then as a gift - In that way the small paypal fee will be added to your total and will not come off of the donation.

Craig

Very helpful; this information should be included in the original post as well imho.

PayPal finally got their money to my bank, and I have donated to both Opal and Gabi. Scuba Mau helped me when I needed it, and refused to let me compensate them for it at the time. Though I wish the current circumstances were different, now I can extend my thanks in a better way.

Best wishes to all 3 involved.

 

[JenLoves2Dive]

OK. I am so sorry for the lack of an update but we've been going a hundred miles an hour here and there seems to be not enough hours in the day!

First of all, Thank you so very much for the fantastic response to help Opal and Gabi. Am going to try and give you all a little more information and keep everyone updated. We are trying to set up a web site now to keep all information in one place.

There are many, many posts about how to donate on various boards. Please feel free to cut & paste my words (in entirety please) or the link to this post and repost on your Facebook or blog.

With that being said, there is no Pay Pal "link" to the email addresses. It's much simpler than that.
Anyone with a PayPal account can donate to anyone else with a PayPal account.
The email addresses ARE the PayPal accounts but you can not click on the email address for the link.
INSTRUCTIONS:
So, to make a donation, you go to:
www.PAYPAL.com then click on the "Send Money" TAB.
Type in the email in the TO: box (e.g., MedicalCare4Opal@gmail.com OR MedicalCare4Gabi@gmail.com. Please don't click on the email addresses but cut & paste them into the To: box.
Click on "I'm Sending Money to Someone in the U.S." Currency should be in U.S. Dollars or can also be in Pesos.
Please make sure to Click on the Personal Tab and then click on "Donation".

We (ScubaMau Staff, Jen and Denise) want to make sure that people understand that we set up these two accounts to specifically pay any Medical expenses for Opal and Gabi. I am a longtime friend of Gabi Loco and Opal and they are dear friends of mine and my dive buddies. I have been coming to the island for 18 years and have a home hear and a business here and just moved here full time. Denise is an instructor and worked with Scuba Mau and before that was an instructor in Hawaii. She's been also coming to the island for over 25 years and has a home here in Cozumel.
We personally set up these accounts and are making sure that these bills get paid. Since we all all dive professionals and have a long extended dive family with a long history of activity and participation on several dive forums and with the dive community (both in the U.S. and in Cozumel), we felt we could help Opal and Gabi by reaching out to all our personal contacts for help through the people we have come to know over these many years. Also, it would be very easy for anyone to verify who we are and what we are doing to help them.

This was a labor of love set up by us to assist in getting these bills paid and make sure money is distributed fairly.
We have collected receipts and bills from the San Miguel Clinica (hospital), Medical Hyperbarics Inc., (Hyperbaric chamber hospital), AeroAmbulance International (air ambulance) and other medically-related expenses they have both incurred as a result of the accident. We have met with the head of the chamber as well as speaking with a representative of the hospital. We have also met with the family to discuss and review the medical costs to date and discuss how things are going to be paid.
It is important for people to understand that the total of the medical bills to date (For Cozumel Only) is way more than actual donations. (Again, there are separate costs for Gabi and Opal as we have separate bills for both.)

Payments from these accounts need to be equitable and fair and distributed proportionately.
We just received the total for all the medical bills here in Cozumel (including air transport). Obviously Gabi's bill with the hyperbaric chamber changes daily and he has a very long road to recovery. I am quite sure he is going to need rehabilitative assistance for some time to come. We do not have any costs for Opal's bill in the U.S. right now, so again, these cost keep going up.

We are going to visit with Gabi right now to discuss more about his needs. He is in great spirits and is so appreciative of everyone's support.

We have heard from Opal's mom (see a copy of her post above) and we are praying for her. The news today is disheartening and we all just continue to pray for her and her recovery.

Please, please understand that this is absolutely devastating to all of us and its been pretty hard on us...which is making it pretty difficult to follow all the posting and comments made. Some of the posts have been hurtful and its better for most of us not to read them right now. So please think twice about posting your criticisms and try to post from the heart.
We are all in survival mode at the moment and everyone is pretty exhausted. Its heartbreaking, and every day I close my eyes and I see my friend's faces and I pray for them and I ask you to do the same.

Anyone...please feel free to contact us with any questions you might have about how to help Opal and Gabi.
If you would like to make a donation straight to the chamber or the hospital, please let me know and I will help arrange that.

I can not even begin to thank this diving community for the caring and love that is pouring through Scuba Board and other forums and the donations made to date. Anyone who personally knows me, knows that I am taking this responsibility seriously and am dedicated to making sure that we do everything we can to help Opal and Gabi during this tragedy.

With much love and respect,
Jen


Contacts: Jennifer - JenLoves2Dive (at) gmail Dot com
Contact: Denise - cozumel_girl09 (at) hotmail Dot com
You can also contact us through our Facebook Accounts.

 

[Maya'sMim]

What is the news from Opal's mom today? I didn't see a link to her post.

We have heard from Opal's mom (see a copy of her post above) and we are praying for her. The news today is disheartening and we all just continue to pray for her and her recovery.

 

[JenLoves2Dive]

Sorry -
Here is the post from Opal's mom is (Cut & Pasted) from Facebook.
Please keep your prayers coming!!

Rally for Opal & Gabi & Heath's Recovery Scuba Mau | Facebook

Well guys, after two great days with Opal smiling and blinking, this morning her blood pressure bottomed out, her heart rate went over 100 and she had a temp of 104. Seems they have discovered her brain stem is also injured and is very swollen. This means the signals from the brain to the body is being shorted out and causing the erratic stats. She can't be placed in the chamber due to this latest event. Her stem was swollen when we first arrived, we just found out today. We were trying to get her transfered to Mercy hospital for the chamber, but, that option was never on the table as we found out today. We were told Jackson Memorial was the best for neuro medicine, then found out it wouldn't do any good to move her there because the same doctors work at both Miami University and Jackson Memorial hospitals.
I'm sorry I don't have any good news to tell you, but, hopefully this is just her brain stem trying to sort things out so things will straighten out. Right now it is still just one big wait and see. This isn't good plain and simple. Keep up the prayers and positive thoughts as she needs them now as much as ever.

 

[the Hermit]

Jen...

Most importantly I hope everyone recovers, in time.

I do not have social network connections, and I don't work thru PayPal due to past problems. I would be happy to make a cash donation thru the mail if you would PM an address to me. Use it as you need. Whenever you have a moment from difficult situation.

Best wishes and a cyber hug from a stranger... Don

 

[gypsyjim]

Sorry -
Here is the post from Opal's mom is (Cut & Pasted) from Facebook.
Please keep your prayers coming!!

Rally for Opal & Gabi & Heath's Recovery Scuba Mau | Facebook

Well guys, after two great days with Opal smiling and blinking, this morning her blood pressure bottomed out, her heart rate went over 100 and she had a temp of 104. Seems they have discovered her brain stem is also injured and is very swollen. This means the signals from the brain to the body is being shorted out and causing the erratic stats. She can't be placed in the chamber due to this latest event. Her stem was swollen when we first arrived, we just found out today. We were trying to get her transfered to Mercy hospital for the chamber, but, that option was never on the table as we found out today. We were told Jackson Memorial was the best for neuro medicine, then found out it wouldn't do any good to move her there because the same doctors work at both Miami University and Jackson Memorial hospitals.
I'm sorry I don't have any good news to tell you, but, hopefully this is just her brain stem trying to sort things out so things will straighten out. Right now it is still just one big wait and see. This isn't good plain and simple. Keep up the prayers and positive thoughts as she needs them now as much as ever.

Thanks Jen. Won't hit "like", cause sure do not like to hear that, but we are all praying and hoping for improving news.

 

[Noeley]

Sent money and continue to send prayers. My wife and I are both huge fans of these spectacular individuals!

Noel

 

[rusti999]

Just saw this news today. Got a chance to interact with all three people involved when I was there in late June. Very, very sad. My prayers for all of them.

 

[bgda]

Can anyone give a recent update on Opal and Gabi's conditions? I have been diving wiboth of them on many trips to Cozumel. They are such beautiful wonderful loving people. My heart aches.

 

[gypsyjim]

Can anyone give a recent update on Opal and Gabi's conditions? I have been diving wiboth of them on many trips to Cozumel. They are such beautiful wonderful loving people. My heart aches.

DiverG posted the following in the other thread on this event:

Here is the latest post from Opal's mom. Posted about 30 minutes ago on facebook.

Well, the emotional roller coaster is going strong. The Dr.s are postponing the trach & peg until Opal's platelet count reaches 50,000. She is at 28,000 as of this morning. They are not going to give her anymore platelet transfusions as the platelets die off in 2 days. They want her to produce her own. So once again we are playing wait & see. She is staying awake more and focusing for longer periods. Keep up the positive thoughts and prayers.



I will try to find the post I saw on Cozumelmycozumel.com , that gave updates on Gabi