Click to view our story video: https://youtu.be/E11nOvlRcvA 

A military change of station brought our family to Scott Air Force
Base and O’Fallon, IL in June of 2012.  Over the last nine years we have partnered with the YMCA to strengthen our community.  We are most passionate about water safety as we lost our son Christopher Jr. in a drowning accident in 2007 while he was visiting his grandparents in Colorado.  All the wrong stars aligned that evening and
being a 22 month old, curious and active boy, who LOVED the water, he found an open door to the pool.  He was found in a matter of minutes, but doctors were unable to revive him that night.  Accidents happen and tragedies occur even with the safest of people.  The
grandparents he was with were always very safety cautious.  However, even cautious people are susceptible to tragedy without the proper preventative education.  Christopher Jr. knew how to swim, but not how to survive if he fell in by himself.  We started our daughter Isabella in swim classes at just a few months old.  We realized drowning prevention and water safety play a big piece of our life and something we think about on a daily basis.  We discovered the impact we could make by sharing our story after Christopher Jr. passed away.  If we could help save just one life it would be worth the pain in sharing our loss.  We thought if our story could make people more cautious and watchful around water then we will tell it as long as we are alive.  We started a legacy in our son Christopher Jr's name at the O’Fallon YMCA to fund other kids in swim lessons and water safety programs.  Both Holly and I have been proud YMCA Board members in order to ensure our passion is shared with all people so they may have the opportunity to avoid our type of loss.  The YMCA has had a huge impact on our family and we are proud to give back to the community with Christopher Jr's Legacy in association with the O’Fallon YMCA.