Universiti Malaya Medical Centre
September 13 at 10:02 PM ·𝐃𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐌𝐀𝐋𝐀𝐘𝐒𝐈𝐀 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 (𝟑-𝟓 𝐒𝐄𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑)
Diveheart, a non-profit company established by volunteers to aid disabled persons through dive chances and scuba therapy, held a Diveheart Adaptive session at Mamutik Island on September 4-5 for the first time in Kota Kinabalu. DiveHeart began operations in Malaysia in 2015, collaborating together with Universiti Malaysia Medical Centre on comparable programmes for individuals with mobility disabilities, autism, and Down syndrome, helping them to enjoy the water with qualified trainers and medical professionals. Diveheart founder Jim Elliott, Borneo coordinator Ernest Teo, and Malaysia Diveheart ambassador Syed Abdul Rahman, who also founded Kids Scuba Malaysia, were on hand to guide these new divers through the program. To present, DiveHeart Malaysia has trained 157 people with disabilities and 200 volunteers from dive centers, universities, and hospitals around the country.
Prof. Dr. Nazirah Hasnan of Universiti Malaya Medical Centre and Dr Thor Ju An of Queen Elizabeth Hospital were also present, as were around 40 volunteers from various backgrounds, including medical professionals and administrators. During the two-day event, volunteers and medical professionals worked together to train five people with disabilities for the discovery dive program:
1. Izyani Hayati Binti Abbas, 39-year-old, diagnosed with spina bifida from birth.
2. Nurizzati Zahidah Binti Hasanudin, 26-year-old, who was diagnosed with spina bifida when she was born.
3. Lidwina Isidore Andilah, 29-year-old, who became paralyzed from the waist down following a fall when she was five.
4. Freddick Jilam, Spinal Cord Injury.
5. Ian Leo, Cerebral Palsy.
The programme intends to increase awareness that PWDs and senior citizens with disabilities can be accommodated in scuba diving, especially in Sabah as a diving haven, if accessibility in terms of infrastructure and trained personnel is emphasized. Each diver required five to six volunteers to assist them in getting to sea, throughout the dive, and in getting back to land. Diveheart – Imagine the possibilities.
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