Central Florida woman on a mission to prevent kids from drowning after her own close call

MISSION TO PREVENT CHILDREN FROM DROWNING. SHE IS A STRONG SWIMMER TODAY, BUT AT A VERY YOUNG AGE HAD A LIFE THREATENING SITUATION IN THE WATER. AND NOW SHE’S MAKING SURE ALL KIDS HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE SWIM LESSONS. MEET THIS WEEK’S WESH TWO COMMUNITY CHAMPION. THE SWIM LESSONS ARE KICKING OFF THE SUMMER SEASON. KIDS OF ALL AGES ARE LEARNING HOW TO FLOAT, TREAD AND FIND THE WALL. THESE LIFESAVING SKILLS ARE SO IMPORTANT FOR CHILDREN TO LEARN WHEN THEY ARE YOUNG. ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS, DROWNING IS THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF DEATH AMONG CHILDREN AGES 1 TO 4. DROWNING ONLY TAKES SECONDS, AND IT’S SILENT. NO ONE KNOWS THAT. MORE THAN DANIELLE HODGE. I ACTUALLY ALMOST BECAME ONE. ONE OF THOSE STATISTICS WHEN I WAS YOUNGER. I ALMOST DROWNED IN THE POOL. MY BROTHER WENT IN THE POOL AND GOT ME OUT. SO I WAS BEING SPONTANEOUS KIDS AND ME HOPPING IN THE POOL AND MY BROTHER, THANK GOODNESS HE KNEW HOW TO SWIM BECAUSE HE WAS ABLE TO GO IN AND GET ME. BUT THAT WAS A TRAUMATIC INCIDENT AT OUR HOME. DANIELLE WANTED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND PREVENT OTHER CHILDREN FROM EXPERIENCING SIMILAR TRAUMA IN THE SWIMMING POOL. LAST YEAR, SHE LAUNCHED ALMA SWIM FOUNDATION. IT HELPS FACILITATE WHERE CHILDREN CAN TAKE SWIMMING LESSONS AND COVERS THE COST. I KNOW THERE’S A LOT OF WORKING PARENTS OUT THERE. UM, AND IT’S REALLY HARD TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO PAY FOR SWIM LESSONS. I THINK IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE’RE TALKING ABOUT GETTING THE LESSONS, BUT ACTUALLY DOING THE ACTIONABLE STEPS TO SIGN UP IS REALLY IMPORTANT. AND I HOPE THAT PEOPLE WILL SEE SOMETHING LIKE THIS TODAY AND THEY’LL GET INSPIRED. WE CAUGHT UP WITH DANIELLE AT THE EATONVILLE COMMUNITY POOL FOR THE WORLD’S LARGEST SWIM LESSON. DANIELLE’S FOUNDATION WAS A SPONSOR. IT FEELS REALLY GOOD TO SEE THE THE WORK ACTUALLY GOING INTO PLACE. THE FUNDING ACTUALLY BEING USED FOR THE LESSONS AND THE OUTCOME OF KIDS LEARNING HOW TO SWIM. ALTHOUGH THE HAIR TOPIC IS ALWAYS A SUBJECT, YOU KNOW, WITHIN THE BLACK COMMUNITY, UM, THERE’S WAYS TO JUST GO AROUND THAT. THERE’S SWIM CAPS, UM, THERE’S HAIR CONDITIONER, YOU KNOW, THERE’S SO MANY THINGS. SO JUST BEING ABLE TO LET PEOPLE KNOW, LIKE JUST LEARN THOSE SKILLS, YOU KNOW, YOU MIGHT HAVE TO SACRIFICE GETTING YOUR HAIR WET FOR A LITTLE BIT. BUT AS LONG AS YOU CAN LEARN HOW TO SWIM, UM, AT A TIME AROUND A POOL, THEN THAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING. TWO OF THE SWIMMERS DANIELLE KNOWS WELL, SHE’S THE GODMOTHER OF 12 YEAR OLD BRYCE. I’M PROUD OF HER. SOME KIDS, UM, DIE EVERY SINGLE YEAR DUE TO DROWNING AND STUFF IN THE WATER. AND I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT TO LEARN HOW TO SWIM. EIGHT YEAR OLD NYLE LOVES DOING COOL MOVES IN THE POOL. YOU CAN DO A LOT OF TRICKS IN THE WATER AND YOU CAN DO LIKE NETFLIX AND BACKFLIP AND DANIELLE’S DESIRE AND DRIVE TO PREVENT DROWNING AMONG CHILDREN IN CENTRAL FLORIDA MAKES HER A WESH 2 COMMUNITY CHAMPION. IT DOESN’T SURPRISE ME AT ALL. THAT’S RIGHT UP HER ALLEY. UM, SUITS TO EVERYTHING THAT SHE REPRESENTS. AND, UM, YOU COULDN’T HAVE PICKED ANYBODY BETTER. IT FEELS GOOD TO BE A COMMUNITY CHAMPION. I DID THE WORK, AND IT’S SHOWING. IT’S GOING TO KEEP ME GOING AND KEEP ME CONNECTING WITH PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY. AND, UM, JUST KEEP THE MISSION GOING FORWARD. WELL, DANIELLE HODGE, THE FOUNDER OF ALMA SWIM FOUNDATION, IS HERE WITH US THIS MORNING. DANIELLE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. AND CONGRATULATIONS, COMMUNITY CHAMPION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE. I’M SO HAPPY HERE. I SEE TEARS IN YOUR EYES. DANIELLE. YEAH. THIS IS UM THIS IS AN AMAZING ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND I’M REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. WELL, I’M SO HAPPY FOR YOU. YOU WERE JUST. SHE IS JUST LIKE THE WHOLE PACKAGE. JUST SO FUN TO BE AROUND. SUCH A WONDERFUL PERSONALITY AND JUST DOING SUCH AMAZING WORK IN OUR COMMUNITY. DANIELLE, TELL ME, WHY DO YOU THINK THAT THIS HAS RESONATED WITH SO MANY PEOPLE? YOU JUST LAUNCHED THIS FOUNDATION LAST YEAR. I MEAN, WE’RE IN FLORIDA. YES, THAT’S ONE THING. BUT THE STATISTICS ARE REAL AND SO THE FOCUS ON THE BLACK COMMUNITY SPECIFICALLY IS ALSO REAL. AND I’M AN ADVOCATE, YOU KNOW, THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED TO ME IN MY LIFE OF ALMOST BEING A STATISTIC. AND SHOWING PEOPLE THAT SWIMMING CAN BE FUN IS MY MAIN GOAL AND MISSION, AND I WANT EVERYONE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO SWIMMING LESSONS NOW. AND JUST SO BRAVE TO SHARE YOUR STORY AS A LITTLE GIRL, HOW YOU COULD HAVE BEEN A STATISTIC AND THEN YOUR BROTHER SAVED YOUR LIFE. UM, JUST INCREDIBLE THAT HOW YOU TURNED THAT STORY LINE INTO INTO WHAT IT IS NOW. OH, YEAH. FOR SURE. UM, WE TALK ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW, EVERY NOW AND THEN MY BROTHER, YOU KNOW, HE BRINGS IT UP. WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, HE USED TO HOLD IT OVER MY HEAD. I SAVED YOUR LIFE. UM, BUT YOU KNOW, IT’S IMPORTANT. AND THE CONVERSATIONS NEED TO CONTINUE BEING HAD. WHETHER YOU, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU’RE FEARFUL OF HAVING LESSONS. JUST TALK ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW, AND SOMEBODY AROUND HOPEFULLY WILL HEAR AND THEY’LL BE ABLE TO EITHER CONNECT YOU WITH SOMEBODY WHO CAN HELP YOU OUT. OR AGAIN, YOU HAVE ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE SWIM FOUNDATION. EXCELLENT. AND DANIELLE, YOU JUST MENTIONED HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS TO ESPECIALLY IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY. I WANTED TO ASK YOU, YOU HAVE A LINE OF POOL FLOATS, AND SOME OF THEM SAY GETTING MORE MELANIN IN THE WATER. THAT’S RIGHT. SO THIS IS SO NEAR AND DEAR TO YOUR HEART. TELL ME ABOUT THAT. YEAH. GETTING MORE MELANIN IN THE WATER. IT’S TRUE. IT’S IT’S NOT COMMON THAT YOU SEE FOR INSTANCE, YOU KNOW, BLACK PEOPLE SURFING. IT’S NOT COMMON THAT YOU WOULD SEE, YOU KNOW, OR, OR SEE PEOPLE GOING AND GOING TO THE POOL. SO BLACK PEOPLE GOING TO THE POOL. SO I JUST FEEL THAT, UM, KEEPING THAT, THAT, THAT WHAT DO YOU CALL IT, MOTTO, GETTING MORE MELANIN IN THE WATER AND JUST KEEPING IT A POSITIVE NOTE. IT’S IT’S TRUE TO WHAT IT SAYS. LET’S GET MORE MELANIN IN THE WATER. ABSOLUTELY. AND LET’S TALK ABOUT TOO, JUST YOU FACILITATE WHERE THE LESSONS CAN BE THROUGHOUT THE AREA. BUT ALSO TO COVER THE COSTS AS WELL. SO JUST KIND OF TAKE ME THROUGH THAT. HOW DOES THAT WORK? HOW MUCH ARE LESSONS AND THEN HOW DOES IT WORK WHEN THE DONATIONS COME IN? HOW DO HOW DO YOU FIGURE THAT ALL OUT? DIVVY IT UP. YEAH. LESSONS CAN VARY. THERE ARE YOU CAN DO GROUP LESSONS WHICH THE CITY OF ORLANDO HAS BEEN BEAUTIFUL WITH HELPING WITH THAT. ALSO, THE YMCA HAS BEEN HELPFUL WITH THAT. YOU CAN DO GROUP LESSONS THERE. IT’S USUALLY ABOUT $50 I THINK, FOR EIGHT LESSONS WITH THE CITY OF ORLANDO AND THEN WITH THE YMCA. IT’S ABOUT 40 OR $50. YOU GET 8 OR 4 LESSONS, BUT SOME PEOPLE NEED A LOT MORE THAN THAT. THEY NEED PRIVATE LESSONS. WE ALSO HAVE CHILDREN WHO HAVE AUTISM WHO NEED SPECIAL ATTENTION OR SPECIAL NEEDS. SO THEY HAVE TO GET A PRIVATE INSTRUCTOR THAT’S A LITTLE MORE COSTLY TO DO A PRIVATE LESSON. SO THAT’S WHERE I RAISE THE FUNDS. AND ALSO I DO IT IN ORLANDO, BUT I HAVE PEOPLE IN MIAMI AS WELL, OR FORT LAUDERDALE WHO REACH OUT AND WE HAVE PARTNERS OVER IN OTHER AREAS WHO CAN DO LESSONS AS WELL FOR PRIVATE. SO YEAH, IT’S JUST GREAT TO KNOW THAT THERE’S YOU DON’T HAVE A REASON TO NOT, YOU KNOW, GO GET YOUR LESSONS. YOU CAN FIND RESOURCES THAT WILL HELP COVER THE COST. AND YOU CAN GET SUPPORT. SO EXCELLENT. WELL THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. AND JUST LAST QUESTION. IF PEOPLE ARE WATCHING AND THEY WANT TO DONATE, WHERE CAN THEY GO? GO TO ALMA SWIM DOT ORG ALMA SWIM.ORG. EXCELLENT DANIELLE CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING ON TODAY. AND A QUESTION HERE FOR THE COMMUNITY. DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WITH A HISTORY OF DOING GOOD RIGHT HERE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA? WESH 2 WANTS TO KNOW ABOUT THEM. NOMINATE THOSE WITH A TRACK RECORD OF GIVING BACK FOR WESH 2 COMMUNITY CHAMPION SPOTLIGHT. EMAIL US THE DETAILS ABOUT YOUR NOMINEE TO COMMUNITY CHAMPION AT WESH.COM. THEY COULD BE FEATUR