A Mother Struggling Through Grief Hopes to Help Other's Survive

For the past year and a half Tanya Nelson has been struggling to get through her grief. However, she hopes to turn her pain into prevention and help people pay attention when kids are at the pool
    After a year and a half it's hard for Latonya Nelson to talk about her son Noah especially in the past tense.
"Noah is awesome. For him to die at the tender age of 7. The way he died. I have to go through that everyday. To me its January 24th everyday," says Nelson.
    Nelson wasn't with Noah at his friend's hotel pool party.  Later she learned he struggled for an entire minute before drowning.
    Then was underwater for four minutes until the parent's at the party even noticed he was gone.
"Before he died he was losing his teeth. He just had this toothless smile that lit up the world," says Nelson.
     Learning to live without that smile has been next to impossible. Nelson spends most days in tears, looking at pictures and videos of her son.
    Replaying what that minute must have been like for him.
"He was wailing and fighting and fearing and panicking for a whole minute. For a whole minute. That is a long time," says Nelson.
    Nelson is telling her story to any parent and organization who will listen hoping to scare them into swimming safely.
"It's up to the parent being involved helping out in the pool doing headcounts and paying attention and stay off these phones," says Nelson.
    Nelson plans to start a walk this summer and design safety gear, since her little BUGG wasn't wearing any and never learned to swim.
"Tell you're kids you love them to the moon and back. Because that's a long ways," says Nelson.

Click HERE to find out more about the YMCA Milwaukee Swim's Program with lessons available for $5.00.