Lubbock mother Tori Welch partnered with Cook’s Children Hospital in Fort Worth to spread awareness about drowning prevention through the campaign Lifeguard Your Child.
“I can’t say it enough to parents to watch them, be physically up out of their lawn chairs, off your phones, away from friends visiting, be at that water site watching,” Welch said.
Welch first got involved with the campaign after she lost her 4-year-old daughter, Shaelynn, from a tragic drowning accident on Mother’s Day last year.
“She had gotten out of her life jacket, she had always wore her life jacket, she had gotten out of her life jacket and gone to the restroom and I did not see her come back out or see her without a jacket until I found her in the pool a few minutes later,” Welch said.
Welch said she found Shaelynn just a few seconds after it happened, thinking she was initially inside using the restroom. But the 4-year-old came back outside without her life jacket and got back in the pool on her own.
“After that happened, I realized most drownings can be preventable,” Welch said. “In my case, I think it could have been and should have been had we been supervising her better.”
Welch now advocates for the campaign to teach other families what she had to learn that day. She said actively watching your children, or having someone else assigned to watch the children, is the best way to prevent a drowning death.
Welch said the campaign is completely run off of donations. However, with the community’s support they have been able to give out free life jackets, swimming and CPR classes to anyone in need. More information about the campaign can be found here.
