Submission to Qld Government Pool Safety Review

The Foundation was recently invited to make a submission to the Queensland Governments "Pool Safety Review Committee" established by Queensland Premier Anna Bligh to examine changes to QLD legislation to reduce the rate of child drownings. The Foundation has finalised its submission, and will be invited to make further comment on the committees draft report. The submission will be made available as a link on the foundation website in the near future.

Kidsafe Forum and Communique

The Foundation took part in a forum organised by KIDSAFE Hunter on 12 Feb 09. This forum was a grouping of organisations such as the NSW Coroners Office, Surf Life Saving, Safe-T-gate, Swimming Pool and Spa Association, local Councils, SIDS and Kids and other community education/support groups and swimming pool safety equipment, manufacturers and suppliers. The Forum produced a "communique" to be distributed to politicians at all levels of government seeking changes to help reduce the rate of toddler deaths and near drownings. Click here to read the communique.

Appearance on Channel 9's Mornings with Kerri-Anne

Continuing our work with Royal Life Saving, Rob Bradley (RLSSA CEO) and Michael and Samuel Morris appeared on the top rating channel 9 program, Mornings with Kerri-Anne on Thursday 19th February. This appearance again highlighted the tragic stories of drowning and near drowning and reinforced the need for vigilance, and the resources available to help pool owners ensure that their pool is as safe as possible. Click here for the link to Kerri-Anne's page.

A scheme for helping children the Foundation Supports

A retiring NSW public servant, head of the Department of Disability, Ageing and Home Care, has voiced a "personal" opinion calling for a scheme to support the provision of equipment and services to people who are disabled through no fault of their own. This obviously includes children like those that the Samuel Morris Foundation is assisting, who are left disabled as a result of accidents at home. It is a shame that he waits until he is retiring to voice such a concern, and as Director General of one of the agencies who is responsible for providing services to disabled people, you would imagine that he was well placed to have been having this dialogue within government and be advocating for the clients his department served.

As he rightly points out in this article from the Sydney Morning Herald that in NSW there are schemes to support people disabled by car accidents and work related accidents, but people born with a disability or injured at home or due to other circumstances beyond their control etc , "have to fight for every service, and if they can eventually navigate the service system, there is still no guarantee their needs will be met".

And isn't it interesting how a public servant would advocate fraud to ensure his needs were met, whilst admitting that the needs of his clients are not being met.

An award winning organisation

The work of the Samuel Morris Foundation was recognised at the 2008 NSW Water Safety Awards, where the Foundation was awarded:

"The patrons award for the most outstanding contribution to water safety with a focus on an under represented group"

The Foundation has been working hard to have it recognised that there are a significant number of near drowning survivors who are left disabled as a result of their immersion. Too often media stories are either the reporting of a tragic death or a successful revival with no apparent ill effects on the child.

However it becomes apparent that no ill effects now does not neccesarily mean that a child will be left unscathed. Recent research is highlighting that a brain injury in children may expose them to an increased risk of epilepsy for over 10 years. Follow this link to the story.

The first drop.

A ripple effect is created when a surface tension is broken, this is the first drop in the surface tension of a blank space. And as we go we hope we can create a ripple of human kindness on the surface of humanity.

The Samuel Morris Foundaiton is Australia's only charity supporting children disabled by near drowning or other hypoxic brain injuries, and targeting drowning prevention.

Every year in Australia around 35 children aged 0-4 die as a result of drowning. For every one of these deaths it is reported that there are up to four children admitted to hospital following near drowning and one fifth of these children will be left with an hypoxic brain injury resulting in disabilities for life.

To see the work that the Samuel Morris Foundation does please visit www.samuelmorrisfoundation.org.au