One mom sets out to raise awareness on water safety after losing her daughter in a drowning incident
“I could have never been prepared for that moment– to find her in the pool,” Heather Broussard tries to form sentences as she remembers her daughter Mazie.
“From birth she was a little warrior. She was small, right at 5lbs,” Broussard says.
It was 2 years ago when Broussard found her daughter Mazie face down in their backyard pool. The incident has left a lasting impact on their family.
“Just that quickly in a matter of minutes, seconds she got outside even though she wasn’t walking,” shares the emotional mom.
In a study conducted in the state of Louisiana, data shows between the years of 2017 and 2020 there was an increase in adolescent deaths related to drowning. A shocking contributing factor to the uptick are the color bathing suits that children wear.
“Wear bright, stay in sight,” Broussard urges parents to follow this advice when shopping for their children's bathing suits.
It’s one of the many tips pushed by Mazie’s Mission, an organization started by Broussard and her husband in honor of their daughter.
“That time frame following we knew we had to do something with this,” Broussard recalls early moments during her grieving process.
The family now spread awareness about water safety. ATheir latest event is a collaboration with COLA. Lafayette, Youngsville, and Broussard support the mission by posting raising awareness signage in Lafayette and St Martin parishes. Broussard says losing Mazie is an unexplainable pain.
Broussard hopes their story can prevent similar incidents, “We just need to bridge the gap. Where there is a lack of water safety resources, that’s what we want to be.”
