About Veronica
Thank you for your interest in the Infant Swimming Resource program. I was raised in Central Islip on Long Island, in New York. I married my amazing husband in 1990. I worked in the Dental field for 6 years before my husband and I became foster parents for Suffolk County in 1993. We have raised 18 children. We have 4 wonderful children and 3 Granddaughters and a Grandson.
We moved from Holbrook, NY to Lakeland in October 2001. On May 6th 2003 our lives changed. I was looking for my 20-month-old daughter and could not find her, after about a minute and a half of not hearing her giggle; because that is what she does when we played Hide & Seek. I could not find her under the beds or in the closets she usually hides in, I began to get nervous. While coming around a bend in my home I realized my back door was opened and just went to close it. That is when I saw my daughter's feet floating in our pool. I unhooked the baby barrier gate and pulled her from the pool. I began screaming for help. I could not find her pulse, she was blue and she was double her size. I began CPR (I was trained yearly as a foster parent) and continued until she began throwing up. The next thing I remember is my neighbor an RN taking over and another neighbor (the Emergency Room Dr at LRMC) getting her vitals. In the ambulance I did so much praying and promising that I would do anything if I could only have my child back. I could not understand how a 20 month old could open a door & wiggle between a 4 foot baby barrier gate and nearly drown all within 2 minutes. Two of the paramedics came to the hospital to tell me what a wonderful job I did (I had not thought of it that way). They said most parents go into shock and by the time they realize they need help it is too late, most don't even know CPR. That seems crazy to me that you need to be certified in it to take care of someone else's child, but not your own. These 2 gentlemen told me about ISR, because their children graduated from the program. I enrolled Olivia as soon as she was released from the hospital. After 5 weeks I saw my daughter fall into a pool and roll over to float and able to survive in the water, it was then that I realized that this is the promise I have to keep. NO parent, grandparent, sibling, relative, or friend should find a child the way I found mine. I looked into the instructor training program and decided that this is what I must do. I still cry when I see a child float, not because I am sad, but because I know their parent will not see them the way I found mine.
Along with being a drowning prevention instructor when I am not in the water I also work at Lakeland Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens since 2011. I am Guardian ad litem in Polk County for the children in Foster Care, I also work for EF Education First placing exchanges students for the summer here in Lakeland Florida. Thank you for your time and please visit the website at www.infantswim.com.
Swimcerely, Veronica Kerst 863-409-7221
We moved from Holbrook, NY to Lakeland in October 2001. On May 6th 2003 our lives changed. I was looking for my 20-month-old daughter and could not find her, after about a minute and a half of not hearing her giggle; because that is what she does when we played Hide & Seek. I could not find her under the beds or in the closets she usually hides in, I began to get nervous. While coming around a bend in my home I realized my back door was opened and just went to close it. That is when I saw my daughter's feet floating in our pool. I unhooked the baby barrier gate and pulled her from the pool. I began screaming for help. I could not find her pulse, she was blue and she was double her size. I began CPR (I was trained yearly as a foster parent) and continued until she began throwing up. The next thing I remember is my neighbor an RN taking over and another neighbor (the Emergency Room Dr at LRMC) getting her vitals. In the ambulance I did so much praying and promising that I would do anything if I could only have my child back. I could not understand how a 20 month old could open a door & wiggle between a 4 foot baby barrier gate and nearly drown all within 2 minutes. Two of the paramedics came to the hospital to tell me what a wonderful job I did (I had not thought of it that way). They said most parents go into shock and by the time they realize they need help it is too late, most don't even know CPR. That seems crazy to me that you need to be certified in it to take care of someone else's child, but not your own. These 2 gentlemen told me about ISR, because their children graduated from the program. I enrolled Olivia as soon as she was released from the hospital. After 5 weeks I saw my daughter fall into a pool and roll over to float and able to survive in the water, it was then that I realized that this is the promise I have to keep. NO parent, grandparent, sibling, relative, or friend should find a child the way I found mine. I looked into the instructor training program and decided that this is what I must do. I still cry when I see a child float, not because I am sad, but because I know their parent will not see them the way I found mine.
Along with being a drowning prevention instructor when I am not in the water I also work at Lakeland Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens since 2011. I am Guardian ad litem in Polk County for the children in Foster Care, I also work for EF Education First placing exchanges students for the summer here in Lakeland Florida. Thank you for your time and please visit the website at www.infantswim.com.
Swimcerely, Veronica Kerst 863-409-7221
