At just 12 years old, Cody Unser was left paralyzed from the waist down.“I was really depressed and angry,” Unser said. “You know, everybody has like an idea of what their life is going to be like… especially when you're younger, you have all these dreams and aspirations.”Her paralysis was caused by a rare autoimmune disease called Transverse Myelitis. The disease causes inflammation of the spinal cord, the part of the nervous system which sends messages from the brain to nerves.Unser adapted to the challenge of life in a wheelchair and then dove deep into the daring sport of scuba diving.“It was the first time that I felt not only free, but also very confident, independent,” she said.Unser and her late mother, Shelley, founded the Cody Unser First Step Foundation shortly after her diagnosis, to improve quality of life for those living with spinal-cord related paralysis. On the third anniversary of her mother's death, Unser partnered with The Scuba Company to hold an event at the Rio Rancho Aquatic Center in New Mexico to teach people with disabilities the power of adaptive scuba diving.Rio Rancho Mayor Greg Hull attended and participated in the event. “This is just another example of how we want to make sure we're reaching out to the whole community – that we're being inclusive and making sure that everyone has a great quality of life here,” he said.But inclusivity is often a struggle for people with disabilities. “We live in a concrete jungle that's not always giving to people with disabilities,” Unser said. The beauty of scuba diving, she said, is that it can be adapted to nearly everyone. Twenty-five-year-old Cameron Lewis' way of life changed this past April when his leg was amputated following a nasty crash on I-40.His doctor recommended he attend Unser's event to meet new people and better adapt to his new circumstances. Although it was his first time scuba diving, it's safe to say, it won't be his last.“It’s a lot of fun,” he said. “It's making me work a lot of joints I haven't moved in a while. It's freeing, I love it.”Yasmany Fuentes, a certified instructor and manager at The Scuba Company said watching people experience the sport brings him immense joy.“They're just feeling weightless, the weight of the world, the stress, how injured they are, how heavy they are, however the equipment is…. it does not matter,” he said. “They're completely weightless. They're in complete Zen.”“Our motto is ‘changing lives one dive at a time.’” Unser said. “It really only takes one dive to change someone's life.”If you'd like to learn more about this program, you can visit their website at www.codysfirststep.orgWatch the video above for Cody's full story.
At just 12 years old, Cody Unser was left paralyzed from the waist down.
“I was really depressed and angry,” Unser said. “You know, everybody has like an idea of what their life is going to be like… especially when you're younger, you have all these dreams and aspirations.”
Her paralysis was caused by a rare autoimmune disease called Transverse Myelitis. The disease causes inflammation of the spinal cord, the part of the nervous system which sends messages from the brain to nerves.
Unser adapted to the challenge of life in a wheelchair and then dove deep into the daring sport of scuba diving.
“It was the first time that I felt not only free, but also very confident, independent,” she said.
Unser and her late mother, Shelley, founded the Cody Unser First Step Foundation shortly after her diagnosis, to improve quality of life for those living with spinal-cord related paralysis.
On the third anniversary of her mother's death, Unser partnered with The Scuba Company to hold an event at the Rio Rancho Aquatic Center in New Mexico to teach people with disabilities the power of adaptive scuba diving.
Rio Rancho Mayor Greg Hull attended and participated in the event.
“This is just another example of how we want to make sure we're reaching out to the whole community – that we're being inclusive and making sure that everyone has a great quality of life here,” he said.
But inclusivity is often a struggle for people with disabilities.
“We live in a concrete jungle that's not always giving to people with disabilities,” Unser said.
The beauty of scuba diving, she said, is that it can be adapted to nearly everyone.
Twenty-five-year-old Cameron Lewis' way of life changed this past April when his leg was amputated following a nasty crash on I-40.
His doctor recommended he attend Unser's event to meet new people and better adapt to his new circumstances. Although it was his first time scuba diving, it's safe to say, it won't be his last.
“It’s a lot of fun,” he said. “It's making me work a lot of joints I haven't moved in a while. It's freeing, I love it.”
Yasmany Fuentes, a certified instructor and manager at The Scuba Company said watching people experience the sport brings him immense joy.
“They're just feeling weightless, the weight of the world, the stress, how injured they are, how heavy they are, however the equipment is…. it does not matter,” he said. “They're completely weightless. They're in complete Zen.”
“Our motto is ‘changing lives one dive at a time.’” Unser said. “It really only takes one dive to change someone's life.”
If you'd like to learn more about this program, you can visit their website at www.codysfirststep.org
Watch the video above for Cody's full story.
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