Here we are again. Another May 13th down, and another year stronger. Colton is Four Years Strong today. In complete honesty, I am struggling a little to find the words for today. Last year I wrote a post that captured every feeling and emotion I have when it comes to Colton's Near Drowning story. It was the true story of his life from the moment of his accident until his third year strong.
I wasn't sure if I wanted to make another in depth post like last year's. I woke up this morning and had that familiar urge to write something about Colton's strength and achievement. Right when I opened my eyes to another May 13th I knew I owed it to him to share the words that he cannot. I can't say that this post will have the same impact on every reader like last year's but here it is anyway!
'What Three Years Strong Really Means' reached thousands of views. I still get hits from all over the world from viewers reading about Colton and what it means to be x years strong. That type of awareness is crucial to saving these kids from drowning. Not only does it spread drowning awareness it shares about his life living with a brain injury. It shares the aftermath of near drowning with the world. It shares the aftermath of near drowning with families who are living the same nightmare we were four years ago. Finding people out there that are living with the same accident that has happened to your child, friend's child, niece, nephew, etc is one of the biggest comforts to someone searching for peace in such a time of despair. I lived on the internet the weeks and years following the accident trying to learn anything and everything about kids who survived such great odds and their daily life. That's even part of the reason I started my blogger account, to follow all of those bloggers and read about their lives and amazing children.
From reading my blog, you already know all about that little fighter, Colton. You knew that in 2011 he fell into a swimming pool and drowned. You know he had a traumatic brain injury and is growing and relearning new things every day. Did you know that drowning is 100% preventable or that May is Drowning Prevention Month? Did you know "for children under the age of 5 drowning is the leading cause of accidental death surpassing those of traffic accidents?" The Huffington Post wrote this in an article last spring. I just stumbled upon it while looking up the number of near drownings in 2014. I found that in 2013 there were 726 kids ages <1 to 14 to die by drowning. Seven hundred and twenty- six kids died in water. It's heartbreaking.
The only type of number I was able to find in 2014 was something posted by the Consumer Product Safety Commission saying that as of September 11, 2014, 174 children drowned in pools/spas. 174 kids like Colton drowned in a swimming pool... I am thankful that based off their data from 2013 to 2014, 29 less children drowned in pools. Awareness is key. Supervision near water makes drowning 100% preventable.
I wasn't sure if I wanted to make another in depth post like last year's. I woke up this morning and had that familiar urge to write something about Colton's strength and achievement. Right when I opened my eyes to another May 13th I knew I owed it to him to share the words that he cannot. I can't say that this post will have the same impact on every reader like last year's but here it is anyway!
'What Three Years Strong Really Means' reached thousands of views. I still get hits from all over the world from viewers reading about Colton and what it means to be x years strong. That type of awareness is crucial to saving these kids from drowning. Not only does it spread drowning awareness it shares about his life living with a brain injury. It shares the aftermath of near drowning with the world. It shares the aftermath of near drowning with families who are living the same nightmare we were four years ago. Finding people out there that are living with the same accident that has happened to your child, friend's child, niece, nephew, etc is one of the biggest comforts to someone searching for peace in such a time of despair. I lived on the internet the weeks and years following the accident trying to learn anything and everything about kids who survived such great odds and their daily life. That's even part of the reason I started my blogger account, to follow all of those bloggers and read about their lives and amazing children.
From reading my blog, you already know all about that little fighter, Colton. You knew that in 2011 he fell into a swimming pool and drowned. You know he had a traumatic brain injury and is growing and relearning new things every day. Did you know that drowning is 100% preventable or that May is Drowning Prevention Month? Did you know "for children under the age of 5 drowning is the leading cause of accidental death surpassing those of traffic accidents?" The Huffington Post wrote this in an article last spring. I just stumbled upon it while looking up the number of near drownings in 2014. I found that in 2013 there were 726 kids ages <1 to 14 to die by drowning. Seven hundred and twenty- six kids died in water. It's heartbreaking.
The only type of number I was able to find in 2014 was something posted by the Consumer Product Safety Commission saying that as of September 11, 2014, 174 children drowned in pools/spas. 174 kids like Colton drowned in a swimming pool... I am thankful that based off their data from 2013 to 2014, 29 less children drowned in pools. Awareness is key. Supervision near water makes drowning 100% preventable.
I seem to be filling this post up with statistics which is something I didn't want to do.
This year just like the rest, there's a swirl of emotions. It's so crazy how one single day can hold so much dread and despair yet so much strength and pride. We mourn for the life that could have been and rejoice in the life and accomplishments that is here and thriving. That's grief for you. You never lose it in situations like this. It never goes away but the joy and happiness in this new life cloud it and make it more bearable. I feel the emotions of that first night in the hospital while looking at that hurt little boy, every single year on this date.
I look at this big, silly, beautiful, growing 6 year old boy and think man, we are are lucky. Only 4% of near drowning victims survive past the first week and our boy here is four years strong. Colton might have been the survivor here but we all did it together. We all survived this tragedy together. We survived the grief together, and we are growing everyday together. I look at how far we have come and I cant believe we made it through that first year. In that first year it was just Tasha, Colton, and I learning how to live this new life every day with all of these special needs challenges. Learning the trach and the feeding tube, which machine beep means his O2 levels are low or he's just holding his breath because he doesn't want to go to bed, what all of theses medicines are for and when and where they go in, how the body does this or that, which medicine stops the projectile vomiting, learning how to deal with a blow out in public that is quite literally everywhere including the ground, how to put a four foot long spastic boy who doesn't want to get in his car seat in and buckled, how to avoid getting peed on in the bath, how to stop him from completely turning himself in his sleep sideways across his bed, how to clear his airway on the way to see Santa Clause when your suction canister is cracked and you have no suction...You live and you learn just like any other path in life... Since then we have gained so many amazing people that fight the fight with us. Shortly after I left for Hawaii, Tasha met the most amazing man that sits shotgun next to her in this fight to be Colton's voice. Ricky is Colton's best buddy and the Dad he never had and we are all so lucky to have him as one of the captains of Team Colton.
My sweet, goofy little love is four years strong. We celebrate the strength of another year and this year is no different. Thank you for being you Colton, and teaching us what life is really about. I love you!
Thank you to all of those people who are there and show your support. Thank you to for reading my posts about Near Drowning and our Years Strong and showing your support that way. Thank you to every person who has shared Colton's story with someone else. That alone is helping prevent another child from going down that same road we have. We have to come together to save our kids from drowning.Drowning is 100% preventable.
Thank you to all of those people who are there and show your support. Thank you to for reading my posts about Near Drowning and our Years Strong and showing your support that way. Thank you to every person who has shared Colton's story with someone else. That alone is helping prevent another child from going down that same road we have. We have to come together to save our kids from drowning.Drowning is 100% preventable.
-Erin
A little piece from 'What Three Years Strong Means'
Drowning is 100% preventable....Someone can drown a foot away from you surrounded by a number of people or like Colton, all by himself unaccompanied. It is no one's fault and at the same time it is every one's fault. All that matters is it is preventable. Everyone can prevent this. I beg you to spread the word on how easy it is to drown and how much easier it is to prevent drowning by just watching closely. Pay attention. It only takes two inches of water for a child to drown. Protect your children by fencing off your pools. Protect your children by locking that sliding door out to the pool. Protect your children and yourself by just giving your undivided attention.
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