LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX NEWS) — Nearly 9 years after her 6-year-old son drowned at a splash pad, Alexandria Stewart is turning heartbreak into action.
In August of 2017, Michael Alexander Stewart was supposed to spend the day at a splash pad with his grandfather. Instead, a missing divider led him toward a nearby pool.
"Michael left the splash pad, got into the pool and started swimming, and got out a little farther than he should and lost his footing," Stewart said.
No one realized he was in trouble.
"All the while, a lifeguard was in the chair watching. And my dad thought, well Michael's in front of the lifeguard. He must be playing. He wasn't playing. He was drowning," Stewart said.
It took another parent in the pool to notice Michael. By then, an expert witness estimated he had been underwater for about 7 minutes.
"At the time, he was 6-and-a-half years old. Just started school. And a brilliant, beautiful, lovely child and the love of my life," Stewart said.
Now, Stewart is launching More About Standards, a nonprofit focused on drowning prevention and water safety education, and a way to keep Michael's memory alive.
"I looked and I figured out Michael's initials were MAS, which means more in Spanish. And I wanted to use Michael's initials so More About Standards is the story of Michael Alexander Stewart," Stewart said.
The organization is partnering with Goldfish Swim School to teach kids what to do when they get into trouble in the water.
"We are so excited to partner with them. We love bringing awareness to water safety. That is something that is a big focus for us. We want people to be aware. We want people to know the statistics. We want to bring awareness to this," Goldfish Swim School General Manager Isabella Peralta said.
For Stewart, the mission is deeply personal.
"It's a way for me to serve others, share the message, and take something so tragic and so horrible and bring some good out of it," Stewart said.
More About Standards launches August 22nd at Goldfish Swim School on Nicholasville Road. You can find more information here: More About Standards - More About Standards
Molly Demrow is committed to covering the stories that matter to you. If you have an idea, please reach out to Molly at molly.demrow@wlex.tv
