# @americanredcross on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DENq_31JHto
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/72589201-americanredcross-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/ece7e0bccd.jpg
- **Posted:** 2024-12-30T19:06:09.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** American Red Cross (@americanredcross) — https://gondola.cc/americanredcross

## Caption

"My daughter Elise used to say that chlorine was her perfume. She was a competitive swimmer who could swim a mile in under 20 minutes. Elise drowned at 13 in a public pool — eight feet from an empty lifeguard chair. There were lifeguards at all of her other practices, just not that one.

When her swimming team found her, they pulled her out off the bottom of the water, which was seven feet deep.

After Elise fatally drowned, it was hard to understand how a strong swimmer could still drown. None of her teammates were prepared for an in-water emergency. They didn't even know what drowning looked like.

I needed to learn everything I could about drowning and how to prevent it. So, I went to the Red Cross and said, 'I've got to learn.'

I wanted to learn and understand. I really truly thought that once a person could swim, they were safe in the water. I had no idea there were still risks involved.

The week that my daughter passed away, there were a lot of swim meets. The kids were taking Sharpie markers and writing on their arms and shoulders, Swim 4 Elise. And, it just seemed like the right name for a foundation.

Every year, the Swim4Elise Foundation provides college and swimming camp scholarships to kids in North Texas. We have funding set aside to help kids get lifeguard certified every two years. 

When I found out that drowning was the number one accidental cause of death of kids ages 1 to 4, I cried uncontrollably. We lost a part of our future when Elise drowned that day and I don't want other families having the same heartache.

In August of 2023, the Carol ISD Aquatics Center, where Elise had drowned, was renamed the Elise Cerami Aquatics Center. They did a naming ceremony in honor of her the week of her birthday.

I was very positive the whole time. When you think about it, she died there. Some may not see it as an honor, but I did." 

Since her daughter's tragic drowning, Lori has committed her time to ensuring kids in her community are trained and prepared to respond to any water related emergency. Thank you, Lori, for sharing your daughter's story and all the incredible work you do to keep kids safer in and near the water. #StoriesThatInspire.

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 618
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 5

## Tags

storiesthatinspire

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