Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts

Monday, January 25, 2021

Cousin Celebration

Happy Summer To All

Past Project and News of Visit to Florida

Thanks for all the materials and contributions to our photo album for Aunt Audrey of Florida. The photo book turned out great with many photos covering the entire family. Aunt Audrey loved it.

We spent an afternoon with Audrey, Barbara and her children (David and Melody), Diane & Phil and their children (Joe and Jennifer), and Linda & Chuck (with Andrew and Chester). It was a wonderful visit, but too short a time.

New Members

It is exciting to learn that our extended family has grown in numbers with two new members. Stephen Taylor in July of 92 and Jennifer Marie Kirby in August 92.


Reasons to Celebrate

We’ve got good reasons for a celebration, now lets have one. A party is planned for Saturday, October 3, 1992 at noon (to whenever) at Duff Park in Penn Hills.

Directions to the Park and Party

Take the Penn Hills exit off of the Parkway East. Take the exit which blends into Rodi Road. Follow Rodi Road and turn LEFT off of Rodi Road onto Duff Road. The corner of Rodi and Duff has Alway Tires, Ryan Auto Glass and Newport Square.

Follow Duff Road up a long hill, and at the crest of the hill at a baseball field, make a sharp left turn. The road is before the school and beside the tennis courts. This road leads directly to the Park Pavilion and our party.


Bringing Things

If Uncle Joe’s family wold bring deserts and Aunt Margaretmary's family would bring salads, Uncle Leo’s family will do the rest.

RSVP

Please RSVP before September 25 and if you are unable to attend, please send news and pictures.


Love, Aunt Audrey

Friday, July 26, 2019

A day at the pool -- three days ago. (copied from a FACEBOOK posting)

Story of a day at the pool. See below.

+ + + 

Maribeth Leeson is with Kristin Moon.
My son drowned 3 days ago. His limp, gray, lifeless body was pulled from the pool and it was every mother's worst nightmare. He was dead. I heard screaming, and after a minute realized the screaming was coming from me. I watched in slow motion as people rushed to him, as he was laid on the concrete, as CPR was started.
A million thoughts were flying through my head as I stumbled around, not knowing what I was doing, screaming. I saw my dead baby on the ground. I thought about his twin brother and how could his life go on without his twin. I saw my 10-year-old son, hysterically sobbing, in his bright blue swim trunks, his beautiful tan skin glistening with pool water still. His life ruined because he just watched his brother die, drowned in the same pool where he was playing. I saw my sassy little 3-year-old daughter, in her pink unicorn and rainbow suit, just watching me, confused. And how was I going to tell my husband that I let our perfect 5-year-old son drown?? It was exactly like I've read other people say in emergency situations: I thought this must be a dream, one of those dreams that you wake up sweating from, short of breath, because it was so real. Wake up! Wake up! But no, I was already awake. Then the screaming was worse. This is happening. My funny, silly, sweet, handsome, artistic, thoughtful little blondie was dead.
I finally was able to force myself to stop screaming, I ran over to where CPR continued on my precious baby. I have no idea how long it was. 10 seconds? 3 minutes? I don't know. But I ran to him and watched and cried and talked to him as my friend tirelessly and relentlessly continued CPR. He looked awful and perfect still at the same time. I watched as water and vomit poured out of his mouth, eyes swollen and rubbery looking. Then a miracle happened! I don't remember what it was first, but he showed some sign of life because several people at the same time exclaimed "there he is!" and encouraged me to keep talking to him. My friend kept working, I kept talking. He started to try to open his eyes and another round of exclamation occured. My friend said she could feel a pulse, they decided to move him off the concrete to the pool house. A million thoughts continued racing through my mind. I was sure even if he was saved, it was too late. I was sure machines were going to be doing his living for him. I was sure it had taken too long.
Everything that happened next seemed like an eternity. The ambulance took forever to get there. They tried to get an IV on the scene but couldn't. The ride to the hospital was painfully long. But my baby started coming around! He jerked his arm back with the IV needle stick! He cried! He was coughing! Somehow, my baby was still with me!
We have now been in ICU at Peyton Manning for the last 3 days. He is sitting beside me in bed right now playing with a stuffed puppy a friend brought to him and watching Captain Underpants for the 70th time. He's off all oxygen. He will very likely come home with me today. Home with me 3 days after drowning, home to live happily with his family instead of us burying him today.
The reason I'm sharing? This happened in a pool full of people. A pool full of ADULTS. I've read so many stories about kids slipping away from their parents and getting into a pool, to be found drowned shortly later. I've never considered the possibility that my child could drown right in front of people who were watching him bob up and down from the bottom of the pool to just below the surface, but didn't think he was struggling because he looked like he was PLAYING. When I found him myself, 2 feet from adults who were in the pool, my first thought was that it wasn't him, that it was someone else's kid who was seeing how long they could hold their breath. I can 100% understand why the adults who were RIGHT THERE didn't recognize that he was drowning because when I saw him, I too thought he was just a kid who was playing. What tipped me off was the kid I saw was wearing a shirt: Adam had gotten in the pool in his shirt. He doesn't know how to hold his breath. GET HIM OUT!!!! THAT'S ADAM!!!!
This was 100% preventable. The fault was MINE. He's a big 5-year-old. He has a very needy twin who makes it easy for me to forget that Adam is still 5 too and has needs that other 5-year-olds need. He's not self-sufficient even though sometimes I feel like he is because he's so capable. I didn't tell him to get in the pool without his Puddle-jumper on, but I was aware that he had. I simply told him to stay in the shallow end while I got his sister's swimsuit on, then I would be over. I thought it was fine for 5 minutes, as he could touch just fine in the shallow end, he wasn't alone because there were multiple adults IN the pool, and I'd be right next to the pool getting her suit on. Wrong. I have never ever been so wrong. He remembers what happened. He said he slipped off the edge. Based on where he was in the shallow end, and where we found him, he means the ledge from the shallow to the deep end. He said he kept going to the bottom then to the top and tried to yell "Mommy!" It kills me to hear that. It kills me to know that his last thoughts were that mommy didn't come for him. But God decided to give me another chance to do better. He gave my baby back to me. Now he knows I DID come for him.
Who knows what we'll face from here? Physically, it is beyond comprehension that he is suffering no consequences. He is asking to go back to my friend's to swim and says "this time, I'll wait for Mommy" before getting in the pool. But he yells for me every single time I'm out of his sight. He clearly has some anxiety that he didn't have before. I pray that some counseling and lots of reassurance will fix that.
I'm sharing this because I want to prevent this from happening to anyone else. Before going to any pool, first make sure your kids know not to get in until the adult who is responsible for them is ready to watch them. That sounds like common sense, but I was thinking because so many adults were present, he was fine, but those adults didn't know his swimming ability so they didn't question when he was under water. Second, KNOW THE SIGNS OF STRUGGLE! Adam didn't look like he was struggling! He wasn't splashing, thrashing, or screaming. He was simply underwater and couldn't get his head above water. Third, know CPR. I do know CPR. Could I have performed it in that moment? I like to believe I could have if I hadn't seen someone else taking charge. I like to think if I had been alone, my survival skills would have kicked in. Luckily, I don't know, because my amazing friend was busy saving him, but I do know that if I didn't know CPR, my helping him if we'd been alone wouldn't have even been a possiblity.
I said I wasn't going to share what happened. I feel so responsible (I am responsible!) because I let him get in without any sort of safety device on, and he was in before I personally was ready to watch him. But I decided to share because I see parents at pools doing these same things every single day! And I'm sharing to hopefully spread drowning awareness.
I'm also sharing to thank my friend for saving him, to thank her over and over and over. I am eternally grateful to her and will never ever be able to repay her. Ironically, I was there for her as her nurse when her son took his first breath after he was born, and now she was here for me as my son took his first breath after he died.
Please take water safety seriously. I never thought this would be me. It was me, but thanks to God and my dear friend Kristin, my son is still safely here. Learn from my mistakes so it's not you.
Adam Jeffrey Leeson, born 3/15/14
Adam Jeffrey Leeson, saved 7/20/19
I have no pictures of what he looked like when he drowned. Unfortunately I only have the image forever tattooed on my brain. I've shared a few images of him in the hospital and the most important one, the one with his guardian angel, Kristin Moon.
Please please please share this. I'm a nervous wreck to share what happened, sick to my stomach to hit "share" actually. But I feel this happened to save others. In my heart of hearts, I know other parents need to read this.

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Outreach letter to families of summer campers



Mark Rauterkus
Head Lifeguard at The Pittsburgh Project
412-298-3432 = cell
https://4Rs.org


Dear Swimmers and Guardians of TPP's Summer Camp 2019:

This summer has been filled with many achievements with swimming, SKWIM and other pool activiites -- and this note details some dreams for future participation for you:


Parents & Guardians should come to to the pool and see your child swim -- soon.

Our summer isn't over and there are plenty of opportunities to keep swimming in the weeks and months to come.


1a) TPP's pool is closing at 7 pm on August 4. Come to the pool from 1-7 pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

1b) All kids and adults are invited to drop in for SKWIM game play from 6-7:45 pm every Tuesday & Thursday at Citiparks Ammon Pool on Bedford Ave & Memory Lane, Pgh Hill District.

1c) All kids are invited to sign up a SKWIM CLINICS at Allegheny County's North Park, 11:30 to 1 pm, M-F, (week 1) August 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, and
(week two) August 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16, 2019. Summer is not over yet. Links to the County's sign up at https://4Rs.org - See other side.

1d) We want to field a TPP team in a SKWIM tournament on Saturday & Sunday, September 7 and 8, 2019, at Citiparks Highland Park Pool. Shallow water. Kids & adults. If interested, email Coach Mark Rauterkus, Mark@Rauterkus.com.

1e) For six Sundays this fall, from 2-4 pm, we'll be able to play SKWIM at Moon High School Pool. Sign-ups required. Great pool.

1f) Coach Mark's Saturday Swim School provides opportunities to swim, play SKWIM, and get Lifeguard training throughout the year, often at Oliver HS and/or Allegheny MS.


Thanks for the consideration. Let's keep building strenght and fitness in the water so that next year can be better than ever with a swim team and more games with outside groups.



Mark Rauterkus
412-298-3432
mark@rauterkus.com





Friday, June 29, 2018

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Fwd: Book Musial Moments for your summer program

------ Forwarded message ----------
From: St. Louis Sports Commission's Sportsmanship Foundation

Book Musial Moments for your summer program

The St. Louis Sports Commission has created an innovative program fostering civility, respect and selflessness among young people in the St. Louis region. Inspired by the great Stan Musial, the organization is visiting schools and summer programs in the metro area to introduce the concept of "Musial Moments" and to instill the qualities of sportsmanship on and off the field.
Presentations are led by Solomon Alexander (a.k.a. The Sportsmanship Guy), the director of the Sports Commission's Sportsmanship Foundation. Through a fun and interactive 45-minute session, students are motivated to care about sportsmanship and to be good to those around them - just as Stan the Man did during his illustrious career and life.
Funding from Sports Commission supporters enables this program to be offered at no cost to participating groups. To bring Musial Moments to your school or youth organization, call 314-345-5130 or email salexander@stlsports.org.
The following schools and youth organizations have hosted Musial Moments assemblies since the program's inception in 2015:
  • Bob McCormack's Youth Basketball Camp
  • Bayless High School (2)
  • Fort Zumwalt High School (2)
  • McKinley High School 
  • Duchesne High School
  • Great Circle
  • St. Rose of Lima (DeSoto, Mo.)
  • Bristol Elementary
  • Woerner Elementary (2)
  • Forsyth Elementary
  • Central Elementary (Roxana, Ill.)
  • Mathews-Dickey Boys & Girls Club (2)
  • Halls Ferry Elementary (2)
  • McCluer High School
  • Ritenour Middle
  • Holman Elementary
  • Robinson Elementary
  • LeMasters Elementary
  • Danforth Elementary
  • Johnson-Wabash Elementary (2)
  • Robinwood Elementary
  • Commons Lane Elementary
  • Sherwood Elementary
  • Carondelet Leadership Academy
  • Henderson Elementary
  • Pembroke Hill School (Kansas City, Mo.)
  • Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center
  • The J in Creve Coeur
  • St. Alban Roe School
  • Hazelwood Northwest Middle
  • Academy of the Sacred Heart (St. Charles, Mo.)
  • St. Charles Borromeo School
  • Shenandoah Valley Elementary
  • Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis - Adams Park
  • Christian Academy of Greater St. Louis
  • Parkway South Middle
  • St. Ferdinand School
  • Fort Zumwalt North Middle
  • Wohlwend Elementary
  • Mary Queen of Peace School 
Like us on FacebookVisit our blog
St. Louis Sports Foundation, 308 N. 21st Street, Suite 500, St. Louis, MO 63103

Saturday, December 01, 2007

Another swim meet, but Dangy appeared

Grant had an inspirational cartoon character, Dangy. He showed up on this meet program.

Sunday, May 24, 1992

Dear Cousins

Dear Cousins,


The Leo Rauterkus family is going to Disney to let the Mouse know that Michele has graduated. It is an important event for they will have major economic decisions to face. (a) their best fan has reached maturity or (b) the same has a job.

We will be spending at least one day with the Florida Family. The Audrey from Pittsburgh has a Scrapbook for Florida Audrey that needs to be filled. Would you please send pictures of any thing decent . Especially all the beautiful children, homes, farms, spouses etc., and/or a letter, note or autograph from you or children. This is your chance to really brag because we have the best family ever and they are too far to realize how lucky they are to be a part of this.

There is at least a page for each. DO YOU WANT IT BLANK?

Because it takes a little planning to keep us together once in a while, please keep October 3rd free for a cousins party at our home.


More details later.

Send all information today to:


Aunt Audrey

107 Pheasant Dr.

Pgh., Pa. 15235


Please put something in the mail to me before June 15th.

Thank you for your help.



Love,


Aunt Audrey