Latest News from Vava'u Island Group, Tonga
21st December 2009
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Medical Emergency Renee from Coconet Cafe
On Dec 8, 2009, at 12:48 PM, SV Carina wrote:
Dear Puddlejumpers/ICA/SSCA/Latitude 48:
Many of you who have visited Neiafu, Vava'u, Tonga have met Gene
and Renee of the waterfront CocoNet Cafe. Both of these kind
people provide many needed services to cruisers.
Recently, Renee was injured in a motorbike accident and remains in
serious but stable condition. She is paralyzed from the neck down
on one side and requires, at minimum, a CT scan to determine
whether she has a life-threatening blood clot.
A group of friends here in Neiafu has rallied together to help her
get the medical attention she requires that is not available here
in Neiafu. One cruiser couple has coordinated the evacuation of to
Renee to Nuku'alofa (principal island of Tonga) and from there she
will need to travel to a US or NZ facility for diagnosis and
treatment.
Unfortunately, Renee does not have the ability to pay for her
transportation and medical care and so there is a fund raising
effort by her friends in the community here in Tonga. The
coordinator of fund raising is: Lisa Molloy at the Cafe Tropicana
here in Neiafu, Vava'u, Kingdom of Tonga. She is opening a bank
account specifically for funds to help Renee and will provide a
full accounting of donations and expenditures.
If you wish to help Renee Nauman (an American citizen from Salem,
OR), please contact Lisa at the Cafe Tropicana, Neiafu for advice
on how to donate. ANY AMOUNT will be gratefully accepted. Lisa
can be reached at: +676-7512870 or or
.
For additional information on the situation and how you can help,
you can also contact ex-cruiser, Baker Hardin at
, Mike Smith of the Aquarium Cafe at
or us at .
Thank you for your generosity.
Philip DiNuovo
Leslie Linkkila
SV Carina
Neiafu, Vava'u, Tonga
Update 14 Dec - Renee is now in Los Angeles and has had a Cat scan - they have diagnosed a bleed on the brain, more tests are being done and options will then be put together after that. Fund raising has reached a magnificent $4300TOP, but another $4000TOP is still required...
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