scubadivingpage9

Scuba Diving Dream

"MY Story"

CARING AND SHARING A DREAM!

This website was created with the hopes of sharing my dream with the world. In 2003, I lost my best
friend in a fatal automobile accident. I realized at age 27, that life is too short, enjoy life while you can.
If you have a dream never give up on it. I am going to enjoy every day like it is my last day. I believe
anything is possible with persistence, no matter how big of a challenge it is. My scuba diving dream is
a big dream and I would do anything to complete my dream before I leave this world.I am still looking
for any kind of financial help a person or company can offer. I am getting closer to accomplishing my
goal along with the help of medical people, family, friends and dive friends.

I have now accomplished my first goal to dive in the ocean and did 25 min. In the upper keys in FL. I
have a lot to do yet with my dream. I sent my information out to local and national media sources to
see if anyone was interested, and they were! See my What's new page here to take a look at all the
interest I have generated. I've also received packages from some elementary schools from around the
country, where young students have been sending me hand drawn pictures and letters of
encouragement. It was very cool and thoughtful. It's really touching. I also received letters and e-mails
of encouragement from many around the world.

I am 30 years old, I live in Woodbury Mn. U.S.A. I have Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy, and
Scoliosis, I've lived with it my whole life. I never give in to it. Because of my muscular dystrophy, I have
minimal movement in my arms and legs. From my disease I am a quad with full sensation. Scuba
diving is something I have wanted to do since I was around 6 years old. I never knew there were all
these organizations out there for handicapped divers until now. I would have did it sooner. I use a
custom made Bivona trach. I have been on a ventilator for 10 years. About two years ago I used to be
able to be off the ventilator during the day, now I am totally dependent on the vent except for the few
minutes it takes for a transfer from wheelchair to bed and vice-versa. Currently, I use my Newport
HT50 during the daytime, and use my LP10 at night. Also, I have a Port A Cath for yearly blood work,
and for emergency antibiotics. But I haven't had to use it for antibiotics for over 4 years.

As far as movement on my own, I am only able to move my thumbs and hands, I control my wheelchair
this way through fiber optics. I have slight movement in my legs and arms. I have done a lot of things
in my life, I have traveled around the world and fought many health battles.

When I am in the water I am able to move my limbs easier, since I am weightless in the water. The
reason I am doing so well is I have a loving family. My Dad Charlee Dollens takes awesome care of
me. My Dad gave up a lot so that I could stay in our home. I also have great home care nurses 8
hours a day. I have many wonderful friends including all the divers that have befriended me along the
way. All of them keep me going.

These are some of the things I love, summer and going for walks, eating out, movies and computers,
music, and chess. I love the outdoors, and horses. I watch a lot of dive shows. My favorite show is
Deep Sea Detectives on the History Channel, starring two of my heroes, John Chatterton and Ritchie
Kohler. They are awesome. I visit lots of scuba diving sites and forums.I have entertained the idea of
using a Newt Suit, but because of the heaviness of the suit, and my lack of flexibility it would not work!
But it is a very cool suit!

I use an Newport HT50 ventilator from Newport NMI for my dives. The Newport HT50 is smaller, more
compact and weighs 12#. It has been used in hyperbaric chambers down to 2.1 atmospheres, which is
33 feet. I know it is possible.I know the pressure underwater is greater than what it is out of the water.
To overcome these challenges, a new life support system needs to be developed. In our spare time
some of my dive buddies and I have been working on a way to make the vent work under water. They
are testing ideas for me, this would eventually allow me to go deeper and bring a self-contained
system with me underwater. I would be happy to go just 40 min. I could go deeper for longer, that
would be awesome. My goal is 12 to 20 feet underwater.

Doctors are only human, and aren't always right. My doctors said it is possible with the right
equipment to scuba dive. I defy the statistics of my disease and am now 30. But I am still kicking! It
has been stated that we don't live long past 30 but I'm going to outlive that'. Like my Doctors said I
have 9 lives for as many times that I have come close to dying. If man can go to the moon, I can
certainly go scuba diving! It was a dream of someone to go to the moon at one time and it happened. I
know that NASA does amazing things. Plus the technology for astronauts is similar to that of scuba
divers. Though I know scuba divers have to deal with a lot more pressure! I have always been
impressed with the Navy and the Navy SEALS and all they do underwater. The diving technology now
is amazing. Nothing is impossible!

I have tons of respect for the men and women in the military and always wished I could have been a
part of something like that. I also admire firefighters and police of all levels. My Great Grandfather was
a Captain of the St Paul Fire Dept. You all have my utmost respect in life.

I've made great friends at Diving Unlimited International Inc. Their dry suits are cool. DUI makes the
best dry suits in the world for scuba diving. I love my DUI dry suit. Made in America! I really enjoy
looking at all the various types of dive gear. I am also an official member of the DUI DOG's. I am
certified Open Water diver through SDI Scubility, also a certified Dry Suit diver and Full Face Mask
diver with SDI Scubility. I feel what I am doing is going to help a lot of people.

My goal is to make a difference in the world and be a part in improving the ocean. It would be good to
get people and/or organizations interested in helping preserve our oceans or putting new artificial
reefs in the ocean. It's up to us to make a difference. I am a very big fan of the underwater world. My
favorite underwater creature is the shark. Sharks are very important to the health of the ocean. If we
lose the sharks we all lose. I feel like a big part of the ocean. I always feel like it's calling me. I'll do
anything to keep it around for future generations. It's the last frontier for our world. People should
protect all bodies of water not just the ocean.

Professor Mike Lombardi is helping in the packaging of my Diving A Dream project, Ocean
Opportunity (OO) is a 501(c) 3 not for profit organization founded in 2003 by Explorer, Michael
Lombardi. The organization sponsors many of the explorations found throughout this website.
Through exploration, OO achieves its mission to sponsor, endorse, and facilitate programs in the
ocean science technology communities to foster a new global appreciation for a developing ocean
literate society, therefore improving the quality of life on this planet. He believes whatever life support
system is developed will help everyone by advancing technology.

Where would I like to do my dives? Possible future dive locations One day l would like to return to the
Keys in Florida to dive. I also would like to do a cage dive with the great white sharks in San Diego
CA. One day Bahamas Islands. I like to dive again at Wazee Lake in WI. Another nice place to dive
would be at Underwater Adventures Aquarium under the Mall of America in MN. We also have what
some call the BIG LAKE, Superior, that is one I would like to dive in too. I plan to dive for as long as I
can. As the bumper sticker on the back of my wheelchair says... SCUBA diving is life, everything else
is just a surface interval! I guess you could say I am addicted to diving! My passion is scuba diving. I
think scuba divers are a great group of people.

So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we
summon the will, they soon become inevitable. -Christopher Reeve-