My Nonprofit Reviews

Three years ago I lost my right leg below the knee do to various medical issues. After a fairly long and painful rehab I was able to walk again with a prothesis. Being 65 years old I had only a small choice of activities to help improve my physical and more importantly mental health. Always being an active person who enjoyed playing various sports and activities, I was quite honestly becoming very depressed.
At some point one of my friends from the Amputee group I was involved in suggested scuba diving. Because of my love of swimming and the ocean this was a perfect suggestion. Now all I had to do was get over my fear of ever swimming in the ocean again, let alone scuba diving below it. It was this same person who suggested Aquanauts Adaptive Aquatics. The name alone gave me hope.
After doing research on the organization, I scheduled an introduction to diving in a swimming pool. From the moment I arrived, I was warmly greeted and made to feel at ease by the Instructer Worth O’Brien. All the equipment was laid out for me and each step was professionally explained to me as I was helped on the scuba equipment. Within the first 5 minutes in the pool and actually breathing under water I realized I found a new love. I was so excited for the first time since my amputation that I had an activity that is giving me the physical and mental stimulation I craved. This class was a few hours and I received the basic knowledge needed to become a diver. Worth and his team helped me every step of the way giving me more and more confidence. But would I be able to use these new found skills in the ocean?
A few weeks later I had my opportunity. An ocean dive was scheduled for handicapped people and I decided to go. Although I was wildly nervous and doubted myself, I was reassured by Worth that I would have all the help and attention I needed
The entire point of this note is to tell what a life changing experience this was. To see the ocean life as never before was incredible. I felt elated!!
Most importantly I could never have done this without the team of Aquanauts Adaptive Aquatics. Under the leadership of Worth O’Brien and his team, I felt completely at ease and safe with their professionalism. As importantly I introduced 2 other amputees to the world of scuba diving….All of this would not have been possible without this worthy organization. With their help I have passed my certification and have completed nearly 10 additional dives and will continue this new found love.

Mark Silverman