Rick Kauffman calls himself a fixer and as a fixer, he was a total failure after his three-year-old daughter, Kelsey, drowned in a public swimming pool, eight feet in front of a life guard. Rick started getting involved with water safety, but he quit as things in his life went downhill. Rick ended up divorced, was a failure as a dad, and even attempted suicide. For eight years he let the darkness of grief consume him and blamed all of his failures on his daughter's death, instead of his own bad choices.

Fifteen years later, Rick came back to the area of water safety and found out nothing has changed. The numbers of drownings were still the same and there were still too many families with a similar story of children drowning in front of a lifeguard. God has given Rick favor to be a voice and to help bring awareness of water safety to others in Kelsey's name.

Rick has been on this grief journey for over twenty years, and has a lot of good things to share with us.

Rick's answer to how to help your child leave a legacy: Start small. Make a difference in one person's life, then do it again, and do it again, until you reach hundreds, thousands and maybe even millions. Get with yourself and with God, asking Him for help, and He'll show you the way. Let Him help you find your story because you never know who you will touch.

Rick Kauffman's Information

The Kels Group Website

The Kels Group Podcast

Email: [email protected]

Families United to Prevent Drowning Website

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Celeste France was born on January 29 and is forever 17.

Brenton Smith was born on February 10, and is forever 24.

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Grieving Parents Sharing Hope (GPS Hope) is here to walk with parents through the darkness of child-loss, guiding them to a place of hope, light and purpose.

It is a safe place for anyone who has lost a child from this earth. There is no shame or judgement in where you are in this journey, including if you are struggling in your relationship with God or your faith has been completely shattered.

The post Episode 42: When the Unthinkable Happens (with Rick Kauffman) appeared first on GPS Hope.