Member Story: Our daughter nearly drowned

A relaxing Independence Day by the pool turned into a nightmare for the Stamford family when their two-year-old daughter Ava nearly drowned. Although Ava was saved by her mother’s quick thinking, the family’s ordeal was still not over.

It had been a typical July 4th for the Stamford family.* Amelia Stamford was reading a book and supervising her children who were swimming in the pool. Ten-year-old Jacob and eight-year-old Sophia were experienced swimmers on the swim team. They were joined by two of the neighbors’ children, who were also strong swimmers. Meanwhile, baby Emily and two-year-old Ava played nearby outside the pool fence.

Amelia dozed off while reading, only to be startled awake by a scream from the pool. She ran to the edge to find Ava thrashing in the water, unable to stay afloat. A child had apparently left the pool gate ajar and Ava had slipped through it unnoticed. 

Amelia, a former lifeguard, jumped in and pulled Ava out, but the toddler was not breathing. As the eldest child Jacob called 911, Amelia immediately began performing CPR on Ava. By the time first responders arrived, Ava had started breathing again thanks to her mother’s rescue efforts.

An ambulance rushed Ava to the hospital with her worried parents Amelia and her husband Henry following close behind. At the hospital, a doctor evaluated Ava. The other Stamford children reported that Ava had fallen into the pool and they had screamed for help right away. Although Ava was already acting normally, the doctor recommended keeping her under observation for a couple days as a precaution. Henry and Amelia readily agreed.

Not long after, an investigator from Child Protective Services arrived at Ava’s hospital room, seeking to ask questions about the incident. Henry answered a few inquiries but requested to have his attorney present for any additional questioning. The investigator was understanding and, due to the holiday, indicated that further action would be unlikely until the following week.

Immediately after the investigator departed, Henry and Amelia called the Heritage Defense 24/7 emergency hotline and spoke to an attorney. They recounted the accident and CPS visit. The Heritage Defense attorney said they would get a local attorney involved as quickly as feasible despite the holiday.

Heritage Defense successfully contacted one of their local attorneys and connected them with the Stamford family. The local attorney promptly contacted CPS, who expressed their desire to conduct a home visit and interview the parents and children. Based on the circumstances, the family chose to agree as long as their attorney could also be present.

The home visit occurred with the local attorney in attendance and everything proceeded smoothly. Henry and Amelia discussed their new pool rules and safety measures going forward. With the local attorney supervising the interactions, the investigator also met with the rest of the Stamford children as well as Ava, who had been discharged from the hospital in good health.

Shortly after the visit, CPS sent a letter to the local attorney stating they had determined the allegations of abuse and neglect to be unsubstantiated, and the case was closed. Thanks to Amelia’s life-saving actions and the support of Heritage Defense, the Stamford family was able to put the harrowing experience behind them.

The Stamfords gave their thoughts on the experience:

After a stressful accident which required medical care for our daughter, the hospital contacted DCS to follow up as part of their protocol. We were so thankful that we were able to call Heritage Defense right away and connect with one of their attorneys who walked us through the interview process. Their expertise and familiarity with the process gave us reassurance and helped put our minds at ease as we navigated a time that was emotional and could have felt overwhelming. We would recommend all Christian families consider having this resource because when the need arises it’s a blessing to have knowledgeable Christians ready to help and be a support.

If you are a member of Heritage Defense, we hope it is an encouragement for you to know that your membership is going to help families like the Stamfords. While we cannot guarantee outcomes, if your family is ever falsely accused of child abuse or neglect, we are ready to fight to defend you and your rights. 

If you are not yet a member, please join today to have 24/7 access to experienced attorneys ready to defend your family.

*Names changed for privacy