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Friend of Tonga Cruisers Needs Help

In the aftermath of a tragic motorbike accident, South Pacific cruisers are reaching out to aid Renee Nauman, an American from Salem, OR, who is currently paralyzed from the neck down on one side.

Renee and her partner Gene operate the popular waterfront CocoNet Cafe, where they provide many services to cruisers. According to Philip DiNuovo and Leslie Linkkila of the Kingston, WA-based Mason 33 Carina, "Renee 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 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, so there is a fundraising effort by her friends in the community here in Tonga. The coordinator 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’d like to help, please email Lisa or the cafe. Any amount will be gratefully accepted.

For additional information on the situation, and to learn how you can help, contact ex-cruiser, Baker Hardin or Mike Smith of the Aquarium Cafe.

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Happier days – while singlehanding through the Society Islands in ’08, Wayne surveys Bora Bora’s distant peaks from the Tahaa lagoon.
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