The Dive Den: A Refuge for Brain Injury Survivors

James Neal was the runner-up in last year’s Headway Achiever of the Year Award, a recognition of his dedication and work to support survivors of subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH), survivors like him. He has raised money to improve the lives of people with acquired brain injuries, and his personal story has put a spotlight on the struggles of others less fortunate.

Surviving against the odds

In December 2013, Neal, an enthusiastic scuba diver, suffered a brain haemorrhage after an undiagnosed aneurysm ruptured. Following this, he had to be rushed to a hospital for emergency surgery. His chances were slim. He had a grade 4 bleed on the brain (on a scale from 1 to 5, with number 5 being fatal) and only about 20% of people are known to survive this type of bleed.

But James survived, and 10 months later back in the water. His passion for diving was the only thing that didn’t change for him after the stroke.

Despite being cleared for scuba diving by his doctors, James lives with what is described as a “hidden disability”. He now has to manage with extreme-fatigue, short term memory problems, and an impaired understanding of non-verbal communication. These are all consequences of the damage caused to parts of his brain.

James’ achievements

Since his accident, and despite his disability, James Neal has accomplished a long list of impressive feats. This includes:

• Completed over 1,200 dives. 700 of which have been post haemorrhage.
• Accredited by multiple agencies in the UK and abroad as a diving instructor.
• Become an Elite instructor and IDC Staff instructor for the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI).
• Become a hypoxic trimix diver, with no depth limit.
• Raised over £8,000.00 with a 24 hours Scuba Dive event in September of 2017 to support brain injury survivors.

James was happy to share the pictures of his Dive Den, which uses our Rhine Log Cabin. He only asked that we would promote the work of Headway, the brain injury association. A cause close to his heart, and that the general public often overlooks.

There are many ways you can donate to Headway Gloucestershire to support people affected by brain injuries. Check out their website to learn more.

You can also contact James through his Facebook page if you have an interest in diving lessons, or to collaborate with him in helping others.