Finding Freedom in the Water

June 25, 2026

Finding Freedom in the Water

One Family’s Life-Changing Experience in the Children’s Centre’s Pool

For Samuel, water changes everything.

Outside the pool, movement can be difficult. Living with severe Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE), a brain injury caused by oxygen deprivation at birth, Samuel faces significant physical challenges every day. But in the water, gravity loosens its hold, muscles relax, and a different side of him emerges.

“As soon as he hits the water, he becomes more animated and happier,” shared Marcela Thomson, Samuel’s mother. “He doesn’t move a lot outside of water, but in the water, he kicks and moves. He is also able to stand better and more symmetrically while in the water.”

Samuel connected with Niagara Children’s Centre in March 2020, shortly before his first birthday. Like many families navigating a new diagnosis, they were searching for supports that could help improve his quality of life and create opportunities for him to experience joy.

When they learned about the Centre’s aquatics program, they hoped the water would help Samuel become more physically aware and willing to move without the restrictions gravity creates on land.

What they found was so much more.

Niagara Children’s Centre’s aquatic services use the Centre’s accessible, heated, saltwater pool to support physiotherapy, occupational therapy, recreation programs, and open swim opportunities for families. The unique environment allows children to develop functional skills, build confidence, and experience movement in ways that may not be possible elsewhere.

For Samuel, the pool provides benefits that extend far beyond the water itself.

“Since starting aquatic therapy, Samuel has experienced reduced muscle stiffness and spasticity,” Thomson explained. “We do physiotherapy afterward, and the therapist can perform exercises that are difficult when his muscles are stiff. He has also shown improved trunk control and core strength.”

The impact continues long after the session ends.

“On the days he goes to the pool, he is more relaxed and tends to sleep better,” shared Thomson.

The environment itself also matters. Samuel is sensitive to noise, and public pools can often be overwhelming.

“He does not respond the same way at public pools,” his mother shared. “The calm environment at the Centre’s pool plays an important role in his experience.”

For families caring for children with complex needs, accessibility and proximity are equally important.

“Samuel’s normal routine is very full of therapy, feeding, and intellectual stimulation at home,” she said. “Driving a long way to therapy is usually a challenge. Having the Children’s Centre pool so close to our home is a real blessing.”

When asked what success looks like for Samuel, the answer was simple.

“Success is to have a higher quality of life and to experience pleasure. The pool provides both,” Thomson explained.

Samuel’s family hopes others also recognize the humanity, joy, and value of children living with severe disabilities.

“Kids with severe HIE are fully human,” she shared. “The physical and intellectual challenges that they face do not make them any less deserving of love and acceptance. Kids like Samuel are a gift and long to be known and celebrated.”

Every splash, kick, and moment of connection in the pool is made possible because of community support.

Niagara Children’s Centre’s Aquatics program is fully funded through community donations, ensuring children like Samuel can continue to access specialized aquatic opportunities that improve mobility, build confidence, create connection, and most importantly, provide moments of joy.

Photo caption:

Samuel and his mother, Marcela Thomson, swim during a recent session in Niagara Children’s Centre’s accessible, heated, saltwater pool.