May is National Water Safety Month, making it an excellent time to raise awareness on how parents can help keep their kids safer around water. While people have fun in the pools, lakes, and oceans, a percentage of them will experience unimaginable loss due to drowning. One grief expert who knows first-hand what losing a child to drowning is like is speaking up to help keep kids safer around water, and helping parents learn how to handle the grief and guilt if their child drowns.

“I want to first help give parents the information they need to keep their kids safer around water this summer, as well as a year-long,” said Melissa Hull, Certified Heart-Centered Grief & Bereavement Specialist, speaker, and author of “DearDrew: Creating a Life Bigger Than Grief. “I also want to help those who have experienced loss to work through the grief and be able to still have a meaningful life.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1-4, and it is the second leading cause of death for children ages 5-14. Each year in the country there are over 4,000 unintentional drowning deaths.

Hull knows all too well about the dangers of drowning and the grief that follows for those parents who lose a child to it. She lost her four-year-old son, Drew, to drowning, and it left her consumed with grief and guilt. Through the feelings that gripped her following the incident, she came to realize that grief isn’t something you “get over.” Rather, it is something that one moves forward carrying with them. Through her experience, she realized that healing is a choice that requires active participation.

With that realization, she picked up the pieces of her life and intentionally moved forward, working through the grief. By helping herself to be able to live a meaningful life again after the tragedy, she set out on a mission to help others do the same. While her child died from drowning, there are thousands of parents each year who lose their child to other causes. The CDC reports that annually, there are over 3,800 deaths of children ages 1-4 and nearly 6,000 deaths of children ages 5-14.

Whether living near a beach or vacationing near one, it’s crucial to be aware of rip currents, which according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is the cause of around 100 deaths per year on the country’s beaches. Rip currents, they explain, form as incoming waves that push water toward the shoreline, which creates an imbalance of water piling up in the surf. They report that rip currents are often referred to as drowning machines by lifeguards, as they are the leading cause of rescues for people in the surf. They can occur on any beach with breaking waves, including the Great Lakes. If caught in a rip current it is important to stay calm and swim parallel to the shore to get out of it. If someone on shore spots someone stuck in a rip current, they should remain calm, and get a lifeguard, or call for emergency assistance.

Hull’s book has been hailed for her ability to share the raw experience of losing a child, along with the compassionate tools that parents need to be able to still live a life of meaning after their loss. She helps parents be able to move forward with the grief, reminding them that love and loss are possible. She uses a combined approach to healing that is holistic, personalized, and rooted in purpose, meaning, and resilience.

She reminds parents of the importance of practicing water safety all year long by keeping these tips in mind:

• Invest in fencing. Homes with pools or that are near water should have fencing to help keep kids from being able to get to it without supervision. This physical barrier can prevent kids from accessing water even when parents are distracted.
• Ensure toys and ladders are put away. When kids see ladders and toys in the pool, it may tempt them. By putting them away after use, it will help to reduce the temptation.
• Use life jackets. Wearing a life jacket can help save lives. Use them on open water, boats, and for those who may not be strong swimmers. Life jackets give people a chance to take a break and add protection if they are caught off guard and are frightened.
• Always have an adult watching. There needs to always be a designated adult who is watching the kids swim. This important task calls for no other distractions, including being on the phone. One’s full attention needs to be on the kids to watch for signs of distress or issues.
• Get kids swim lessons. According to Stop Drowning Now, the risk of a child drowning drops 88% if they have been taught to swim. Learning to swim is a life-saving skill that everyone should have. Look for lessons being offered by the city, YMCA, private instructors, etc.
• Learn CPR and life-saving skills. Knowing how to help if there is an emergency is crucial. Parents should take a CPR and life-saving course so they are prepared to help if something does happen.

“My mission is to help raise water safety awareness and to help parents who have experienced loss to still be able to live fully,” said Hull. “Grief will always have its moments, but it does not have the final word. Grief and joy can coexist.”

Hull is not only a grief expert, but she is also a guide for fully living after loss. Her work integrates meditation and spiritual connection, energy work and Reiki, somatic and grounding practices, emotional processing and mindset work, and Dr. David R. Hawkins’ Map of Consciousness. She focuses on helping people who have experienced loss to build a life that is bigger than grief by incorporating what actually helps people move forward with it. She is also a speaker who shares her story and what she’s learned about living a full life with grief. To get more information, visit her site at: https://www.melissahull.com/. Her book is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, and other major retailers.