Supporting children disabled by non-fatal drowning
A core focus of the Samuel Morris Foundation is supporting children who are disabled as a result of a non-fatal drowning (or what is often incorrectly referred to as near drowning) or other hypoxic brain injuries.
We support these children directly by wherever possible assisting in the provision of equipment that will support their daily care and quality of life.
These children are a part of a family, and the family often needs support services to provide a safe place to discuss their feelings about what has happened to their child, what is happening with their treatment, what is happening with the their progress etc etc
Support Services for families of children after a non-fatal (or near) drowning.
The Samuel Morris Foundation facilitates support services through a support group for parents of children who have experienced a non-fatal drowning. Why is this support group so important?
It is a safe and secure place where parents can discuss life, disability, death and every combination in between.
An integral part of providing the support services to the children after a non-fatal drowning is supporting the families of these children, (and providing an avenue of support for families who have lost a child to drowning.)
While there are other support groups, there are very few that are very focused on dealing with issues around a child with a disability after a non-fatal (near) drowning. Some other groups in this area claim to provide “counselling” but don’t reveal the qualifications of the people providing the “counselling”, they are very directive and/or authoritarian in their approach, or they try to be many things to many people and take on other issues beyond families dealing with a near drowning, or drowning death.
The group run by the Samuel Morris Foundation is very clear… “it is a safe and secure place where parents can discuss life, disability, death and every combination in between” , the group is a tight knit but global community of parents who get where you are at and a wide range of issues are discussed among equals. The families involved are at many different stages of life after a near drowning, some families have just recently started on this journey, and some have been caring for a child with a disability caused by a near drowning for many years. We also acknowledge that there are many non-fatal drownings where children do not experience a disability, however there is still significant stress associated with the experience and families of these children are also welcome to participate. We do not claim to provide counselling as this is a family support service. If professional services are required we will recommend a referral to fully qualified professional psychological or counselling service.
If you are supporting a child with a disability (or you know someone who is who may need some assistance) then please contact us to discuss how we can help.
Support Services for families of children who have died as a result of drowning.
While the Samuel Morris Foundation is focused on providing support services around the issue of dealing with disability after a non-fatal drowning, we know that families who have lost a loved one also need support services and a network of people who understand the many issues associated with a death due to drowning. As this is not our area of expertise we do maintain close links with a number of support organisations around the world whose specific focus is on supporting the families of people who have lost a loved one to drowning. If you have lost a loved one to drowning and would like to access this type of service please contact us and we will put you in touch with an appropriate support group.
