Scuba Warriors^SM — therapeutic scuba diving for wounded warriors

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A Big Thank You to VFW Post 1561 in Arlington for their generous decision to help support, on a quarterly basis our Scuba Warrior Program. Thank You to these courageous Veterans for supporting this mission!

Watch a report from KING 5 News: Scuba Warriors deal with war's after-effects underwater.

What is Scuba Warriors?

Heartbeat—Serving Wounded Warriors pays for therapeutic scuba diving for wounded service members of GWOT, the Global War on Terrorism. We call this program Scuba Warriors. Warriors with physical or psychological injuries, or both, can benefit from this healing activity.

Our generous donors support all Heartbeat programs and services.

Ken Yates, combat veteran, developed the program for Heartbeat Serving Wounded Warriors. As a Master Scuba Diver with multiple certifications and broad experience in scuba diving, he understands its many therapeutic qualities. His vast accomplishments include rescue diver and many positions in fire and emergency response technology, to name a few.

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What is therapeutic scuba diving?

Therapeutic scuba diving is an activity that helps patients improve muscle strength, mobility, cardiovascular strength, blood flow, confidence, and emotional well-being. It decreases pain significantly. This popular, rehabilitative activity has produced positive results for many years.

Scuba diving professionals use therapeutic diving for many injuries: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), limb loss, and spinal cord injuries are just a few.

Certified and experienced scuba diving professionals work with wounded warriors’ health care providers—doctors and licensed physical, occupational, and speech therapists—to ensure the best results for each individual. The diving professionals have experience working with the wounded.

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How does therapeutic scuba diving work?

Therapeutic scuba diving is a unique healing activity because water reduces the forces of gravity, which are hard on the body. Water offers a weightless and cushioning environment that gently supports muscles and limbs. This allows patients to use body parts previously too painful to move—injuries seem to disappear. This offers a liberation not found on land.

At the same time that water is gentle on the body, it also presents some resistance to movement, as anyone who has swum under water knows. For wounded warriors, this is an opportunity to increase muscle strength with less pain.

In the Scuba Warriors program, adaptive equipment is available for patients who need extra support. Supervisors provide underwater guidance for added safety.

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What are the benefits?

Heartbeat’s therapeutic scuba diving can help wounded warriors improve many areas of their health:

• Motor skills
• Muscle strength
• Blood flow
• Cardiovascular strength
• Pain reduction
• Mobility
• Emotional well-being
• Confidence

Changes in water pressure sometimes move shrapnel to a safer place in the body for surgical removal. Sometimes it even leaves the body on its own.

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How does therapeutic scuba diving help emotionally?

Painful, major injuries dramatically change warriors’ roles in their jobs, in their families, and in society. Sometimes they can no longer contribute. This is devastating to natural protectors, who push themselves to extremes, take charge, and perform courageous acts daily. One result is isolation.

Scuba diving, unlike many therapeutic activities, requires a buddy system. This social side of diving fights the long-term, damaging effects of social separation.

The underwater environment is also an opportunity for wounded warriors to realize how capable they are. Disabilities seem to disappear as they experience pain-free movement for the first time. The wounded warrior’s newfound success contributes to positive, lifelong changes. Everyone benefits: warrior, family, and society.

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Who pays for the service?

Heartbeat—Serving Wounded Warriors can offer this healing service to wounded warriors free because of our generous donors.

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Why is Scuba Warriors free to wounded warriors?

Our brave, wounded warriors sustained their injuries while they defended our freedom and way of life. They put their lives on the line for complete strangers. Heartbeat and its supporters firmly believe we owe it to our heroes and their brave families to help them heal.

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How does someone qualify for help?

A wounded warrior qualifies for Heartbeat’s Scuba Warriors program when a health care provider approves this course of treatment for the individual patient. The provider—an occupational therapist, physical therapist, speech therapist, or doctor—must be familiar with the service member’s case.

The provider completes an approval form and sends it to Heartbeat. A wounded warrior, family member, or provider can make the initial call to Heartbeat.

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Where does the scuba diving take place?

Please e-mail or call Heartbeat—Serving Wounded Warriors for more information about locations.

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How can I volunteer for Scuba Warriors?

Thank you for giving your time and your skills to this life-changing program. Your help brings joy and healing into the lives of our heroic, wounded warriors and their families.

Please contact Janice Buckley, Heartbeat president, for more information about volunteering. You may also complete our volunteer application without contacting us first.

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Donate now to help wounded warriors and their families

Clicking on the PayPal button will redirect you to their secure, user-friendly site.

Or send your donation by check or money order to

Heartbeat—Serving Wounded Warriors PO Box 704 Snohomish, WA 98291

Thank you for your support! Heartbeat is a private, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization — donations are tax deductible as allowed by law.

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