I’m Lisa Harris, a dedicated emergency room nurse with 13 years of experience in the Houston area, and I’m also the mother of four. Tragically, one of my children was taken from me by the silent threat of drowning. Now, my mission is to ensure that no other parent has to endure the pain I have faced.
In conversations with friends and through my social media feeds, I often hear parents expressing relief that their children are not at high risk for COVID-19. Meanwhile, I live with a deeper fear. The conditions of quarantine are inadvertently increasing the risk of drowning—the leading cause of death for healthy children.
This devastating reality took my son, Max, when he was just 18 months old. On July 9, 2016, he slipped through our usually-secure doggie door while we believed he was playing safely upstairs with his sisters. Within minutes of unwatched play, I dashed to our backyard pool, only to find him floating face down. As a nurse, instinct kicked in—I performed CPR on my precious boy, but after several days in the pediatric ICU, he was declared brain dead.
The statistics surrounding childhood drowning are horrifying. It’s the primary cause of death for healthy children before they reach kindergarten. Young children often drown under the care of their parents, in situations where they are not expected to be near water, and typically within a span of just a few minutes of inattention. Max fits this tragic profile, but he is not just a statistic; he was a beloved child with a family that cherished him, and we will never witness his growth.
When I see parents juggling Zoom calls while their kids run wild, I can’t help but think, “They could drown.” Parents are being asked to manage the impossible: keeping an eye on their children, assisting with online schooling, and working from home. Something has to give, and in homes with pools, that “something” can have devastating consequences.
Since losing Max, I’ve delved deep into the issue of drowning prevention and will always grapple with “what ifs.” I now lead the initiative, Parents Preventing Childhood Drowning, committed to ensuring that no parent has to wake up to the nightmare of losing a child. Yet, I must be candid: despite the efforts of many devoted parents like myself, drowning rates remain alarmingly unchanged. Nearly 1,000 children in the U.S. lose their lives to drowning each year—three kids every single day. The good news is that drowning is preventable.
At this critical juncture, we need the backing of mainstream media to reach families before tragedy strikes. The societal shifts prompted by COVID-19 illustrate that we can enact and follow new laws and recommendations to protect lives. So why not implement changes to enhance safety for our most vulnerable population?
Alongside dedicated advocates, Parents Preventing Childhood Drowning has launched a petition to HGTV, urging them to leverage their platform of 95 million viewers to promote safe home buying and renovations. We advocate for mandatory pool fences that are at least four feet tall with self-latching gates—a simple measure that could have saved Max’s life and would prevent many drownings. We also request that HGTV include a brief public service announcement from the American Academy of Pediatrics with every backyard pool renovation.
Reality television has fundamentally reshaped how we view home buying and renovations. Imagine if they could also transform our attitudes toward water safety. The benefits are clear; we’re talking about saving children’s lives. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us the importance of protecting those who are most at risk.
No action I take can bring Max back, but my efforts are for you and your children. Please consider taking a moment to sign our petition, and if you’re inspired, follow our work at Parents Preventing Childhood Drowning to learn about the essential layers of protection that can save lives. Drowning affects real children. It can happen to good parents. It could happen to you.
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In summary, drowning is a preventable tragedy that can affect any family. By raising awareness and advocating for safety measures, we can protect our children and prevent other parents from experiencing the heartbreak of loss.
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