How long does it take you to prepare your gear and suit up completely for a dive? Maybe, if
I’m wearing a wetsuit, it’ll take me 15 minutes. And I can do it all by myself. Man, I’m
lucky.
When 28-year-old Matthew Johnston goes diving, it requires three people – his nurse and two volunteer divers – to prepare him. Not to mention all the time they spend doing it. That’s because Johnston suffers from muscular dystrophy, which allows him to move only his thumbs. (Obviously, his team of divers either holds him in the water, or else he better hope they get his buoyancy just right.) Johnston -- who's been dreaming of diving since he was 6 years old -- hopes to make a lake dive in Wisconsin soon, and shortly thereafter, he wants to dive in the Bahamas. (Join the club, Matthew…)
So how does a quadriplegic dive? He has a custom-built wetsuit that connects to his tracheotomy and keeps it dry. A small, battery-powered ventilator connects to the suit. If you’re interested in learning more about his dream of making his Bahamas-dive (or in making a donation to help make his dream come true -- hint, hint), visit Johnston’s website. And be sure to read his lump-inducing message, which’ll certainly serve as a reminder of how lucky we ALL are…even on the days we DON’T get to go diving. Good luck, Matthew.
