I’ve been begging you guys to help me pay for the training
cost to become an Infant Swim Resource instructor for a while now. We’ve made
progress, but I’ve still got a long ways to go. So, if you can donate, please
do so at www.GoFundMe.com/shanon
Yesterday was the 6th anniversary of Ethan and
Rolando’s death. I think I had so much anxiety leading up to the day that
yesterday I was kind of out of it. Not numb to it, but in a place where I didn’t
know what to think or feel. I still feel overwhelming guilt and confusion about
all of it. It’s hard to explain all of the stuff that continues to go through
my head. I see images of the night the accident happened. I see Orlando, my
brother in law, kneeling next to the casket at the viewing for hours on end. I
see the people who were at the ER before me looking helpless when I walked in.
So many things that I don’t think will ever go away.
It’s amazing to me to think about the impact that Ethan made
in his short life. When everything happened I couldn’t think of any reason for
him to be gone. I still can’t think of too many reasons, but there’s one that
has recently been brought to my attention.
It’s summertime and there are WAY too many stories of
drowning deaths in Texas. When my sister moved back to Texas from Maui, one of
the first things we talked about was enrolling Jake in swimming lessons. Thank
goodness she knew about ISR lessons because their method and theory in teaching
kids is different than any other organization.
I took Jake to his lessons every day and was in shock of his
progress. I was so motivated by the work that his teacher did that I decided to
become an instructor, too. That’s where Ethan comes back into play.
I have a job that no other person in the world has; I have
the ability to reach so many people because of my job with the show. How
awesome is that? You guys have helped me through the worst days of my life. You
have supported me and shown so much love…even though we’ve probably never even
met. We’re like the biggest non-blood related, spread throughout the world
family of all time. And I’m one of the chosen people to be in your lives even
though we may never have an in person interaction. There’s a lot to be said for
that.
I know that news of drowning is pretty widely spread, but
here’s the difference in my story and a random news story you see or hear
about. We have some sort of unspoken connection that makes my story somehow
personal to you. I cannot tell you how many people have told me that they
mourned the loss of my nephew with my family. People who could have blown it
off and went on about their day, but they (you) didn’t. You felt things with
me. That’s truly amazing.
Ethan was born into our huge family. He didn’t really
understand that, but he didn’t have to. He just was. And with that, his death
impacted so many lives. I’ve gotten messages from tons of people saying that
his story motivated them to enroll their kids in the swim lessons they’ve been putting
off. In his death, Ethan saved a lot of lives.
That’s truly special. And maybe that finally gives a reason
to why it happened. Maybe Ethan was born into our family to save other lives.
He did that. He continues to do that. I will help him do that by becoming an
ISR instructor.
It’s hard to accept that something good came from the death
of my baby, Ethan, but it did. It’s my true hope that I can help families never
realize the pain that my family did through being an ISR instructor.
I know I’ve gone on and on about these lessons, but you guys…I
promise you that it is worth your attention. These lessons are so detail
oriented and specific to each and every child. It’s seriously amazing. They put
so much effort into understanding the A&P of infants and children, behavior
reinforcement, the role of parents during the lessons, and their overall
learning process…I’m in awe of the amount of specific effort that goes into each and
every student. I’m excited to be a part of that.
Full disclosure on this…I’m starting training on August 14.
I got a loan to pay for the training tuition because I needed to pay in order
to even schedule my six week training session. I’ve been reading my study material for a few days now
and it’s so compelling and deep, but it all makes so much sense to me. I’m so
excited to start on this next venture in my life, but now I have a big loan to
pay back. So, I will ask again, if you’re able to donate, please do so. You
will be helping carry on Ethan’s legacy and save lives.
What does this training entail? I get one on one instruction from one of the best trainers in the world. I will be in the pool five days a week and then do classroom work on Saturdays. I will be one of less than 1,000 ISR instructors in the nation once I become certified. What an honor!
I would not choose to invest so much money into something that I wasn't 100% dedicated to and sure about. I will have tro rearrange my time with Jake while I do the training, which is the one thing I'm hesitant about. However, it's not forever and I owe this to Ethan. I owe it to myself. I owe it to everyone who has been with me since July 13, 2011 when we lost my Ethan in a drowning accident. If you can help in any way...either by donating or sharing the link...I would be so grateful. I don't need a ton of huge donations. I just need a lot of small ones that will really add up.
Thank you guys again for everything. I cannot express my gratitude enough.
