While I don’t have kids myself, one of my best friends has an adorable three-year-old little boy. It warms my heart when he walks through the door and says, “Kim’s here! I like Kim.” Then he crawls into my lap. When I give him a quick hug, it reminds me just how small he is, and how much he depends on his mom, dad and even me. Of course, since he’s three, he lets me give him a hug and darts off. I try to keep an eye out for him, but sometimes he thinks “hiding” is more fun. After too much silence, I start to feel a little uneasy.

 

As you might have seen on the Today Show this morning, one mom recently experienced a similar situation. For just a split second, she took her eyes away from her two-year-old daughter. The next thing she knew the toddler had opened the door and walked outside. Mom ran outside straight toward the pool and saw the toddler was floating in the water. Mom quickly pulled her daughter from the water. She checked for breathing from the little girl. Nothing.

 

Enter the toddler’s big brother – a nine-year-old who learned CPR from watching  the movie, Black Hawk Down. Mom, son and a neighbor worked together to save the little girl’s life.

 

With the weather getting warmer and families getting ready to head outdoors, the Today Show invited Safe Kids USA President Meri-K Appy and Dr. David Markenson, American Red Cross Scientific Advisory Council chair to talk about pool safety and to perform a brief CPR demonstration. We encourage you to take a look!

 

 

And on Monday, if you’re free, come out to the Red Cross at 1:30 p.m. when the St. Louis Area Chapter will recognize 12 local citizens who took action to save a life.

 

Kimberly