David “Uncle Dave” Brown is 61 and needs our help.

Over the last year and a half, Dave’s heart condition has gotten worse. He is now dealing with persistent AFib, and his doctors have recommended a cardiac ablation procedure. With the procedure itself, travel, and recovery expenses, the total cost is expected to be close to £50,000.

If you have ever spent time in Santa Teresa or Puerto Jiménez, there is a good chance you already know exactly who Dave is.

From 2004 to 2018, Dave was the owner-operator of The Green Rooms in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica. It was more than just a place. It was a gathering point.

It was the giant table where people came together, shared meals, laughed late into the night, and felt like family. Dave had a way of bringing people in, whether through a great conversation, a dance party under the disco ball, or a meal made from scratch.

Since moving to Puerto Jiménez on the Osa Peninsula, he has kept doing what he has always done best: welcoming people, feeding people, helping people, and building community wherever he goes. Many know him as Greenrooms Dave, English Dave, or simply Uncle Dave. He is a phenomenal vegan chef, a brilliant host, a gifted builder, a smart surfer, and one of those rare people whose presence makes a place feel alive.

Dave has lived a big and colorful life. He sailed around the world, guided tours at the Egyptian pyramids, and built an unforgettable life in Costa Rica. But what matters most is not just the stories. It is the way he has shown up for people over and over again. He is the kind of friend who will find you a place to crash, hand you a hot shower, cook you a beautiful meal, make you laugh, and make you feel like you belong.

As his nephew Russell put it, Dave is “a legend with a giant heart” who has brought joy to so many people and is “always ready to welcome anyone as family.”

Now Dave needs that same love returned.

This fundraiser is to help cover Dave’s cardiac ablation procedure, travel, and recovery costs. We are raising funds in British pounds using Dave and Nicki’s UK banking setup so the money can be used directly for his care and related expenses as smoothly and transparently as possible.

If Dave has ever opened his door to you, cooked for you, helped you, made you laugh, or made Costa Rica feel more like home, this is a chance to help him now.

Please donate if you can. If you cannot, sharing this page with people who know and love Dave would mean just as much.

Thank you for supporting Dave and Nicki during this time.