Help Us Save Lives After a Tragic Drowning Incident

This past Saturday night, a tragedy struck one of our own.

During a family gathering, a sweet and energetic 4-year-old boy with Autism slipped out of sight for just moments. He was later found unresponsive in a lake near the family’s home. He was rushed to the hospital, where he remains in the Pediatric ICU on life support.

The last few days have been filled with heartbreak, uncertainty, and prayer.

As a community, we've rallied around this family—bringing meals to the hospital, supporting the ICU nurses, and holding each other a little closer. But now, it’s time for us to turn this tragedy into change.

As many of you know, before opening the School of Autism 12 years ago, I worked as a pediatric ER nurse. I’ve seen far too many accidental drownings, but this one hit home—and it has made one thing clear: it’s time for action.

The barriers we face are the following:

1. Parents work and have difficulty getting their children to lessons

2. There aren’t enough trained instructors

3. Many families cannot afford swim lessons

We’re going to tackle each of these barriers. We will team up with Small Fish Big Fish, the Drowning Prevention Coalition of Palm Beach County, the Children’s Services Council and more. This is just the beginning—and we need your help.

RAISE FUNDS FOR FOLLOWING:

1. Transportation for children (15 passenger van) to attend swim lessons regularly

2. Swim instructor certification for our daycare and school staff

3. Drowning prevention education for families

4. Ongoing funding to ensure no child is left behind due to cost or access

We may not be able to prevent every accident, but we can make swim safety and survival skills a standard part of our day care and education program. We can save lives.

Please consider donating, sharing, and praying. Your support will help not only this family during the most devastating moment of their lives—but will help protect countless children in the future.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you. Mary Jo Walsh, R.N. Mountaineer's DayCare www.mountaineersdaycare.com