Former crew Dayle Louwrens recovering after accident

May 15, 2018 by Dorie Cox

Updated May 18

Yacht crew and industry colleagues have organized several fundraising efforts for Dayle Louwrens after she was hit by a car while on her morning run on April 12 in the Fort Lauderdale area. She is financial controller at YachtZoo and she was previously marketing director at Bluewater Books & Charts in Fort Lauderdale.

Louwrens began her yacht career as a stew about 20 years ago and worked her way up as third, second and chief stew, eventually working as purser on M/Y Coral Island, now M/Y Coral Ocean, a 73m Lurssen.

Louwrens underwent successful surgery to repair her skull on May 11 and family members have come from her native South Africa to help with her recovery and with her twin 9-year-old children.

Dee Kraley, director of charter management at YachtZoo Fort Lauderdale, visited Louwrens in the hospital recently and said she is missed at the office.

“Anyone that knows her, knows she is a ray of sunshine, everyone loves her,” Kraley said. “She’s always laughing and she’s a great mother. She’s so active.”

Friend Patti Trusel worked with Louwrens at Bluewater and said she looks forward to hearing her friend’s sense of humor again.

“She always goes out of the way to make me laugh; she has a dry wit,” Trusel said.

Friends and colleagues held a raffle at the May 16 Triton Networking event and raised $1,571. Chef/Stew/Deckhand Mercedes Kornfield won the grand prize of a five-day trip to Costa Rica, including airfare and lodging.

Industry friends look forward to Louwrens recovery.

“We know 100 percent that she knows who we are and understands what we say,” said friend Iris Saleh, director of business development with Vikand Medical Solutions. “Up until her surgery, the doctors kept telling us to be realistic, but she is out of the woods now.

“She is doing really well, she can mouth words, is moving all her limbs and has opened her right eye,” Saleh said. “This is a stark improvement from … before the surgery.”

Louwrens is expected to stay in the hospital for a bit longer and then go to a rehabilitation facility for about a month, Saleh said.

“Then we hope she gets to go home. She has long way to to go.”

Dorie Cox is editor of The Triton. Comment at [email protected].

 

Updated May 15

Former yacht stew and purser Dayle Louwrens is conscious and recovering after more than a month in intensive care after being hit by a car on April 12 in the Fort Lauderdale area.

Louwrens underwent successful surgery to repair her skull on May 11.

“We know 100 percent that she knows who we are and understands what we say,” said good friend Iris Saleh, director of business development with Vikand Medical Solutions.
“Up until her surgery, the doctors kept telling us to be realistic, but she is out of the woods now,” Saleh said. “She is doing really well, she can mouth words, is moving all her limbs and has opened her right eye. This is a stark improvement from last week before the surgery.”

Louwrens’ mother is with her from South Africa and will attend The Triton’s networking event with ISS/GMT on May 16 to thank friends and colleagues for help and donations to a crowd-source funding campaign and a raffle to be held at networking, Saleh said.

Louwrens’ sister and brother-in-law are coming from South Africa to assist in her recovery, as well.

She is expected to stay in the hospital for a bit longer and then go to a rehabilitation facility for about a month, Saleh said.

“Then we hope she gets to go home. She has long way to to go.”

Originally posted April 21

Yacht crew and industry colleagues have started a crowd-source funding page for Dayle Louwrens after she was hit by a car while on her morning run on April 12 in the Fort Lauderdale area.

Currently she is financial controller at YachtZoo and was previously marketing director at Bluewater Books & Charts in Fort Lauderdale. She began her yacht career as a stew about 20 years ago and worked her way up as third, second and chief stew, eventually working as purser on M/Y Coral Island, now M/Y Coral Ocean, a 73m Lurssen.

The following is posted on http://Www.youcaring.com/daylelouwrens-1170205:

“On the morning of Thursday, April 12 2018, after dropping her twin 9 year old children off at school – our dear friend and fellow yachtie Dayle Louwrens went for her daily morning run. Same route she has taken every morning for the past 3 years. That morning took a different turn as Dayle was struck down by a car in the early morning hours less than a mile into her run.
Dayle came to the USA from South Africa working in the yachting industry and found America to be the place she loved to raise her two beautiful children. Not easy being a single mom but she loved life more than most people I have met. To spend time with Dayle meant you were going to laugh – a lot!
Dayle is in ICU and has swelling on the brain. Her doctors are cautiously optimistic but her recovery is unknown. Minimum would be a year of intense rehabilitation but there is no way of knowing how complicated the injury to her brain is until the swelling goes down and she wakes up.
This very special lady has touched countless lives and always in a positive way. She is a daughter, a mother, a friend, a colleague.
Please help us fight for Dayle.
A fund has been set up to help with caring for her children and of course for the long term medical costs. Thank you so very much.


Dayle Louwrens

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About Dorie Cox

Dorie Cox is a writer with Triton News.

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