Cash Young and Danielle Gennusa practice turning, breathing and floating during Cash’s FLOAT lesson.
In 2021, there were 24 child drowning deaths in the Tampa Bay area. Water is everywhere, from beaches and lakes to pools and rivers, making water safety a crucial component of the Y's youth development efforts. The Hernando Family YMCA is expanding these efforts through a new swim program focused on saving the lives of our youngest community members.
Thanks to the generous donation from the Young Family, Danielle Gennusa, Aquatics Director at the Hernando Family YMCA, was able to obtain a specialized certification that allows her to instruct the FLOAT program. FLOAT is a one-to-one infant and toddler swim class that teaches essential water safety skills that will give families precious seconds in a water emergency.
Ashley, mother of twin boys Cash and Burke, shares, "A year and a half ago, our twin boys got out of an open door while we were making breakfast, and they fell into our swimming pool. Our son Cash was unharmed, but we lost our son Burke that day to drowning. After getting over the shock of losing our son, getting his twin brother skilled in the water became my number one goal."
Ashley then learned everything she could about drowning prevention and began looking for swim lessons for one-year-old Cash. She searched throughout three counties, contacted her YMCA, the American Red Cross and her pediatrician, and could not find a toddler and infant swim class.
Finally, Ashley connected with Nicole Hughes and found the water safety swim lessons she wanted. Nicole related to Ashley. She lost her son Levi to drowning a few years ago and shared information about the FLOAT program at her YMCA.
"We're really passionate about bringing a program like this to their community Y... the FLOAT program allows parents to have reasonable and affordable access to lifesaving skills for their toddlers,” says Ashley.
Today, Danielle teaches Cash and other children how to have a healthy fear of the water. The young children learn to embrace getting their face wet while testing their water limits. She works with children in 10-minute sessions. During their first class, Danielle brings them underwater up to 5 times, and increases the frequency as their floating abilities improve and water comfort levels increase.
Additionally, she teaches children to roll on their backs, breathe and float to the side of a pool until help arrives.
"Cash can now turn to his back, find his air and turn back on his stomach and swim to an exit, shares Ashley. "He can now self-rescue after a fall in the water."
Ashley's wish for the program is "To see [FLOAT] spread not only in Florida, where we have the highest toddler drowning rate in the nation, but also nationwide. Drowning is the leading cause of death in children ages one to four in our country. Teaching our children to self-rescue through swim lessons is the number one thing we can do to reduce their risk."
If you live in Hernando County, you can give your infant or toddler the crucial skills they need to self-rescue by signing them up for FLOAT lessons at the Hernando Family YMCA today.
To find out how you can support the program, contact Joanna Castle at jcastle@suncoastymca.org.