DIVE LOG AUSTRALASIA ISSUE 413 AUGUST 25

Breaking Barriers Beneath the Surface: Adaptive Scuba Therapy for Children with Disabilities at HRC Written by Amir Othman & Nor Aisyah Mohamed Sai d

O n 31st May 2025, Hospital Rehabilitasi Cheras (HRC), in strategic partnership with Diveheart Malaysia, launched a pioneering initiative that brought a new kind of therapy to the hospital’s paediatric rehabilitation program. Titled “Water Therapy with Zero Gravity”, the event offered ten children and young adults with physical disabilities the chance to experience adaptive scuba diving — not as a recreational novelty, but as an integrated therapeutic intervention. Held at the hospital’s hydrotherapy pool, the program was designed to simulate a zerogravity environment using adaptive scuba techniques. The participants, with various disabilities such as scoliosis, others with limb amputations or lower limb weakness were guided underwater by trained Diveheart In-Water Assistants, Divemasters and closely supported by HRC’s physiotherapy, medical team and Diveheart Surface Assistants. “This collaboration is a significant step toward offering more inclusive rehabilitation options,” said Dr. Faizul Nizam Abu Salim, Hospital Director of HRC. “When we shift the focus from what these children can’t do to what they can achieve, we help them develop not only physical strength but also mental resilience.” For many of the participants, it was their first time in scuba gear. But in that weightless environment, movement came easier. Challenges on land like walking with a cane or navigating in a wheelchair seemed to momentarily disappear. The therapeutic value extended beyond muscle coordination or joint mobility; it was deeply emotional. “Underwater, they experience freedom,” said Syed Abd Rahman Syed Hassan, Ambassador of Diveheart Malaysia. “For someone who struggles to move on land, the water becomes a place where gravity no longer defines their limits.”

One of the participants, 11-year-old Nur Dhiya Dhalieya from Paka, Terengganu, who is a left leg amputee, called the experience “fun and eye-opening.” Her mother, Suhaila Mohd Syukri, shared her joy. “Even with her condition, she was so excited to be part of this. We travelled over 300 kilometres just to get here. It wasn’t easy but seeing her this happy made it worth everything.” Diveheart instructor Cecilia Jong emphasized the importance of personalized assessment: “We must understand each diver’s physical condition and make sure they’re ready, both physically and mentally. Exposure is

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Dive Log Australasia #413 AUGUST’25

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