Today's date is June 29 2009. This date is significant because two years ago today our lives changed forever. Due to human error our daughter Abbey sustained an injury in a wading pool that ultimately took her life nine months later. Since that day in June our lives have changed beyond compare. We take things day by day and moment by moment. Our children are held a little tighter and closer under our wings but this to be expected. We have all suffered though Abbey's absence.
Last spring we attended a friend's birthday party and through the encouragement of friends, we decided to plan a golf tournament to begin to give back to those who lifted us up on our journey with Abbey. What came of that passion or need to do something after Abbey's death was the 1st Annual Abbey's Hope Golf tournament and as a result, were able to donate over $200, 000 to HopeKids on September 15, 2008. I was so proud to be able to give back…………to pay it forward so to speak.
When we began to plan the golf tournament, Abbey's Hope Charitable Foundation didn’t even officially exist. AHCF officially formed in July of 2008. As Scott & I learned the “ins and outs” of running a non-profit and working with a Board of Directors we began to form the mission statement based on Abbeys request to us in the hospital.
“Abbey’s hope was that what happened to her would never happen to another child. In her name, the foundation works fiercely and passionately to safeguard kids, both in and out of the pool, against preventable harm."
Here we are almost a calendar year after founding Abbey's Hope Charitable Foundation and recently completing our first educational event. My goal for our Spring into Summer Pool Safety Party on June 5th was to make sure that parents, kids and pool owners knew the dangers that surround the summer, whether in or out of the pool. Hopefully those of you that attended the event went home with some new piece of knowledge or perhaps just a reminder of the dangers that surround pools. Through a fun, family evening we were given the opportunity to raise awareness in regards to safe behavior at the pool, the importance of sunscreen, hydration, showering before entering to keep the pool "clean", why it is important to teach kids to swim and when is the best age. Lastly, 40 attendees registered with the National Marrow registry to be bone marrow donors if they are called upon as a match to someone in need. I was thrilled with the turn out and look forward to next year. Thank you to all who supported the event and attended. I look forward to a bigger and better event next spring. If we work together we can prevent the preventable. For Scott and I , we need to do everything we can to make sure what happened to Abbey does not happen to another child. The sad news is since Abbey's incident there have been more than four fatal entrapments' reported that we know of. This is preventable so please help us to Keep Kids Safe.
Keep the Faith,
Katey