Scuabamau diving accident

[JenLoves2Dive]

Hi All.
Denise and I wanted to give a quick and clear accounting for all the funds raised from the MedicalCare4Opal@gmail.com Pay Pal account.

At this time, we are going to close this account now that everything has been paid out to date. Below is a quick summation of everything that was paid out.
We are so very happy to say that the total raised toward Opal's medical bills was $15,809.27 !!
Truly, truly amazed by all the support. You all made a huge difference.

We are still actively collecting donations for Gabi at MedicalCare4Gabi@gmail.com and he has asked that we continue to raise donations on his behalf. I will make this a separate post later. Also, please be aware that two other people are doing fundraising on behalf of Gabi.
David Dillehay with Aldora Divers (Please see his post - Help for Gabi) has issued a challenge to raise money under this Scuba Board thread:
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/cozumel/398196-help-gabi.html

Pamelia Bertrand (Ultimate Diver Challenge) has also started a fund raising drive asking people to pledge a monthly amount of money to help support Gabi.
Check out her Facebook page - Rally for Opal and Gabi.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rally-for-Opal-Gabi-Heaths-Recovery-Scuba-Mau/148538305235936
or you can email her at: diverchallenge@aol.com

We will be posting all donation options on a separate post for Gabi.

MUCHAS GRACIAS!!!!


Payments Made for medical bills for Opal--

$2500 to April (Opal's mom) - reimbursement for $2500 she paid toward the hospital bill at San Miguel Clinica
$2500 - reimbursement to the person (she wishes to remain anonymous) who paid out $6800 toward the air ambulance bill to get Opal medivaced to Florida.
$1000 to Bubba (Opal's brother) who paid out $4000 toward the air ambulance bill
$1000 to April - reimbursement on behalf of Joseph (Opal's grandfather) who paid out $4000 toward the hospital bill at San Miguel Clinica
$8568 to Medical Hyperbarica Integral (Chamber Hospital). $4,189.00 MedHI paid to San Miguel Clinica on the family's behalf.
The balance, $4379.00 was paid toward the $100,000+ (in pesos) bill at MedHI.
Total paid out was $15,568.96.

There is a $422.96 balance left in the Pay Pal account which Opal's mother has generously requested to be transferred to the benefit of Gabi.


I feel blessed that Roger, Denise and I were able to help facilitate the payment toward these medical bills. Thanks for putting your trust in us and being so generous with your messages and donations. Thank you...thank you...thank you.


P.S. For those of you who have donated and would like to contact Opal's mom, she can be reached at: April_ADR@yahoo.com.
I received many messages from donors asking to remain anonymous so please contact her directly if you would like to send messages or stay in touch with her.
I am sure she would appreciate hearing from you and thanking you directly.

 

[cvchief]

You are a class act....

 

[ScubaMom56]

I am having bookmarks made up in memory of Opal (probably ready in two weeks). For those who donated and wish to have a remembrance of her, whether you knew her or not or for those who knew her but were unable to contribute, send me your address. There is not going to be a mass posting of the list of contributors, anonymous you are, anonymous you will stay, but, if you want a remembrance just drop me a line, Or if you just wish to give your condolences to the family please put "Opal" in the subject line when e-mailing me at april_adr@yahoo.com. If I don't have you in my address book, then you will go to the spam. And I don't usually go through the spam as I have no need for viagra nor enlargement of my member. Don't you just love those ads.

Again, thank-you for your concern during this very trying and difficult period.

Sincerely,
April

 

[jimmyj]

Hi, My name is April and I am Opal's Mother.

I want to thank all of your for your kind words, love and concern during the most difficult time of my life. Opal was a one-of-a-kind person who lived life to its fullest. Opal always told me the shop belonged to her "boyz". She wasn't in it in order to have two or three homes around the world or own fancy cars and stuff. She was in it for the love of diving and giving the clients one of the best dive experiences possible. Her philosophy was the client was on vacation and there to enjoy themselves and not be herded and corralled. Before opening ScubaMau she had worked at other dive shops in the area and just wanted to provide something different.

Mau hadn't been around the shop for a month or so before the accident. I wish him well in his new endeavor just as Opal had, but, as stated earlier, the shop belongs to her "boyz". I know it won't be the same with Opal gone, but, it wasn't just her that made the shop special, it was also her "boyz". They shared the love of diving and giving the client what they want philosophy with Opal and will continue to do so.

I would also like to thank all the contributors to the paypal account in Opal's name. I don't have access to any the names nor do I have any way to account for how the funds were distributed. I would thank each and everyone of you individually if I could.


Thank-you all,
April Smith

Yes Opal and I were talking she said she wasn't in it to make a million dollars. She was there for the love of it.

She does love the Boyz. They all are a special family. Opal and Mau would take care of the Boyz especially during slow season.

It is good to see That the shop is still running. I know with Victor behind the desk everyhing will be ship shape.

 

[mrtoadfish]

just so you all know mau is running scuba mau to find his website go to scubamau.com put this in your browser bar at the top
with windows 7 thats all i have to do i have dove with mau before he and opal started the shop and he is a frind of mine and i will allways dive with him he is a firstclass person and considermyself lucky to be his friend and to dive him
toadfish
Ps. iwould also like to thank every one that has been helping my good friend Gabi loco and i know he thanks you to

 

[Linda99]

So there are now two Scuba Mau's? The original Scuba Mau one that was started by Opal and Mau which has the Team of Victor, Monkey, Eddie, Tacho, Ishi, Roger, etc. and now Mau has started another under the same name? CONFUSING!!

 

[Christi]

So there are now two Scuba Mau's? The original Scuba Mau one that was started by Opal and Mau which has the Team of Victor, Monkey, Eddie, Tacho, Ishi, Roger, etc. and now Mau has started another under the same name? CONFUSING!!

It IS Mau's name and he has every right to continue on with his life, dream and his passion and to preserve his good name. IMO, the original Scuba Mau is no longer "Scuba Mau" as neither of the founders are running the shop. Tragic as it is, that shop will never be the same without Opal AND Mau - that is the truth.

I wish Mau all the very best in carrying on with his original dream!

 

[DandyDon]

I asked Opal about changing the shop name since Mau was no longer with her when I was there in August but she said nope. Now

 

[BarFlyer]

Much better to learn from the mistakes of others than to have to make them yourself. Unfortunately, information about scuba accidents is often hard to come by. So, what little information is available has to be extrapolated to support prevention discussion. "Speculation" is a fair term to describe what often goes on. I'm not exactly sure where you come up with "gossip". Are you referring to claims by some posters about past experiences that may or may not relate to the incident?

As a Member of DAN you have free access to the annual diving reports.
Factual information is gathered and produced in these reports;below is from the DAN page:
DAN Medical Center
Annual Diving Report

Fatalities and serious diving injuries are rare and often seem to be associated with unsafe behaviors or hazardous conditions, but they can occur without apparent cause.

Understanding the contributing factors could lead to safer diving. The primary goal of DAN's Annual Report on Decompression Illness, Diving Fatalities, and Project Dive Exploration is to further this understanding.


DAN information is not speculation; I know the DAN info will serve you well.
Bob

 

[DandyDon]

As a Member of DAN you have free access to the annual diving reports.

Membership no long required. Anyone can access it.