Our family began our ISR journey when each of our daughter’s were under the age of 2. Our instructor, Sheryl, provided a safe and supportive environment for them to learn. She was incredibly patient and loving toward our children which allowed them to build confidence in their ability to survive in the pool. With a pool in our backyard, the concern for drowning is present all the time. We witnessed one of our daughters utilize the skills she learned with Sheryl when she fell into the pool while playing with her sister. She was able to float on her back and continue to breathe until an adult was able to get to her. Even after they completed the ISR self-rescue training, we continued lessons with Sheryl to help them improve their stroke. Both of our girls are very confident swimmers who enjoy the water in any environment. We feel so blessed to have started this program at such a young age and to have found Sheryl!
Suezie
My husband and I would like to thank Sheryl for being available to teach ISR to our daughter. Our daughter has completed 4 seasons with Sheryl and she loves, and is safe around the water. My husband is an emergency medicine physician and has seen the tragedy of drownings up close and personal. Everyday he is thankful that we found the life saving lessons of ISR. Sheryl teaches the self-rescue skills in the event of an un-witnessed fall in the water. Our daughter is a confident young lady, and we appreciate how Sheryl and the ISR lessons have impacted her life. So many people don’t realize the importance of ISR lessons and the fighting chance they give young children should the unmentionable happen.
Karen
As a first responder I unfortunately have first hand experience with child drownings. I responded to an emergency on Superbowl Sunday. When I arrived the family was doing CPR on the 2 year old. They had the fence and the self- locking gate, but somehow the gate latch failed and allowed the toddler into the icy water of the pool. When our first responder team arrived, we took over resuscitation. The baby got several rounds of CPR, we drilled into his shin bone to give him IO medications to help his heart beat and put a tube down his throat to breathe for him. I will never forget his father holding on to his tiny blue toes and praying. We got pulses back and lost them several times attempting to stabilize him. We loaded him in the helicopter and he was flown to the trauma center with a pediatric ER. There he spent a week in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. By a miracle he survived. His precious life was almost lost that day.
When I became a parent I researched for survival swim lessons and found ISR. I know that no one is drown proof, but with the pool fence with a strong spring on a self locking gate. I know that if they get past all these barriers and end up falling in, ISR has given them a chance to float and cry for help.
Alex
I recommend ISR to anyone who has children whether they have a pool or not. I live in an area where the majority of the properties have pools, so if it’s not my pool, it’s my neighbors pool, so parents need to be proactive about water safety for our children. I feel that everyone should have access to ISR. With the high expense of ISR, not everyone can afford it. My husband and I are so passionate about water safety that we’ve made sacrifices elsewhere to afford our lessons. I strongly support the Safe Swim Foundation and their scholarships, to open the door to ISR for so many more families who may not truly understand how important it is, and are deterred by the high cost of tuition. I fully support and love the Safe Swim Foundation and how it will be providing tuition free or reduced tuition scholarship opportunities to families.
Sarah
My husband is an emergency medicine physician and has seen the tragedy of drownings up close. ISR’s mission is “to prevent drowning and enrich the lives of children by teaching them to swim and to make each student an aquatic problem solver” ISR teaches Self Rescue skills in the event of an unwitnessed fall into the water. I strongly support the Safe Swim Foundation and its endeavor to provide scholarships to all who need these important lessons.
Margaret
My husband has been with the Tucson Fire Department for over 10 years, and unfortunately has been on scene for several near drowning calls. These calls left a lasting impact on him and were one of the reasons we chose ISR. Our son who was only 18 months learned the Swim Float Swim sequence in 6 weeks. Our friends and family are amazed at how remarkable his skills are. These lessons are a priority for our family, so we made some sacrifices in order for him to take lessons and benefit. When we found out that Sheryl had formed the Safe Swim Foundation we were so excited that it would be available to off set cost for first responders and their families for these potentially life saving lessons. Providing these opportunities for first responder families to use a scholarship for ISR may in turn provide some peace of mind to know that their children have the knowledge and ability to stay safe around water.