Jenny Bennett shares her story of losing her 18 month old son, Jackson. She shares her story in the hopes that she will reach other parents, that you will hear her words, and put layers of protection in place to prevent your child from drowning.
Jenny is a Trauma nurse in Texas. The statistics are staggering. In 2016, in Harris County Texas alone a total of 18 children drown. Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death in children ages 1 - 4.
Jenny is one of the founding Team Members of the project PPCD. Jenny and her husband recently founded a chapter of Swim Safe Forever (SSF) in NW Houston, after applying for and receiving a sizable grant to be used for scholarships and educational purposes to prevent childhood drowning.
Layers of protection are:
constant Supervision
wearing of water watcher badges (especially when in a crowded pool environment)
pool fences with self latching and self closing gates
alarms (Water immersion & door alarms)
learn CPR
remove dog doors
teach your child the self-rescue skill of rolling onto their back and floating from a high-quality swim instructor
Watch her interview on the Las Vegas City Beat, and please share with your family and friends,
Children as young as 6 months old can learn to roll on their backs and float independently. They do not need to lift their heads up to breathe, simply turn their head and roll onto their backs. "There is evidence that swim lessons may reduce the risk of drowning, including those 1 - 4 years." Read more in the AAPs 2019 policy statement on drowning prevention.
Thank you Jenny for sharing your story. Thank you for reaching parents, before their child reaches a body of water alone.